Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Adnan Ismail Najm Abdullah al-Dulaimi |
| Born | 1971 |
| Died | 4 June 2014(2014-06-04) (aged 42–43) |
| Allegiance |  Baathist Iraq(1993–2003)
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(2013–2014) |
| Branch | Iraqi Army(1993–2003) Military of ISIL(8 April 2013 – 4 June 2014) |
| Rank | Captain(1993–2003) ISIL Military Chief (January 2014 – 4 June 2014)[2] |
| Battles / wars | 2003 Iraq War Iraqi insurgency |
Adnan Ismail Najm al-Bilawi Al-Dulaimi (Arabic:عدنان إسماعيل نجم البيلاوي الدليمي 1971 – 4 June 2014), better known by thenom de guerreAbu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi al-Anbari[1] (Arabic:أبو عبد الرحمن البيلاوي الأنباري), was a top commander in theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the head of its Military Council, prior to his killing byIraqi security forces on 4 June 2014.[3][4]
Al-Bilawi belonged to the Al-bu Bali clan of theDulaim, the largest tribe in the IraqiAl Anbar Governorate. His tribe formed the nucleus of the resistance/insurgency against U.S. forces in Iraq. The Dulaimis returned to the armed insurgency in 2014.
The governor of Anbar at the time,Ahmad Khalaf al-Dulaimi, claimed that he taught al-Bilawi when they were both at the Iraqi Military Academy. Al-Bilawi graduated in 1993 and went on to become an infantry officer in the Iraqi military, achieving the rank of captain.[2][4]
After the US-led2003 invasion of Iraq, al-Bilawi joinedal-Qaida in Iraq and worked closely with its then-leader,Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. According to an audio address by ISIL' official spokesmanAbu Mohammad al-Adnani released on 11 June 2014, al-Bilawi was one of the founders ofJama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and trained many jihadists during the insurgency.[1]
Najm al-Bilawi was detained by American forces in 2005 inCamp Bucca.[2][5][6] Al-Bilawi was one of the approximately 500 prisoners who escaped fromAbu Ghraib prison in July 2013, following a raid and mass jailbreak by members of theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[7][8]
Following his escape, he became a member of ISIL's Military Council and had a major role in planning and leading the group's military offensive inNorthern andCentral Iraq.[5] Al-Bilawi was killed on 4 June 2014 in a raid by Iraqi security forces in Mosul. Following his death, a laptop belonging to al-Bilawi revealed high quality intelligence on the operations and leadership structure of ISIL.[9] Al-Bilawi had been leading the planning for a military operation against Mosul, following his death ISIL launched the attack, resulting in their total seizure of the city by 9 June 2014. The attack was named the "Invasion of Asadullah al-Bilawi Abu Abdul Rahman" in his honour.[10]
His death was acknowledged by ISIL's official spokesman,Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, in a June 2014 statement that praised his contributions to the group.[5] He was reportedly succeeded byAbu Muhannad al-Suwaydawi as leader of the ISIL Military Council.[2]
