Tariq al-Harzi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 May 1982 |
| Died | 16 June 2015 (aged 33) |
| Cause of death | Death byairstrike |
| Other names | Abu Umar al-Tunisi |
Tariq bin al-Tahar bin al-Falih al-'Awni al-Harzi (3 May 1982 – 16 June 2015), also known asAbu Umar al-Tunisi, was aTunisian man and senior leader of theIslamic State.[1]
He was born either in 3 May 1982, inTunis,Tunisia.[2]
According to the US government, he was one of first militants to join theIslamic State, traveling to Iraq as a foreign fighter after the US invasion of the country.
In October 2007, IS personnel records were captured by coalition forces in a raid nearSinjar. These records contain a mention of Abu Umar al-Tunisi. A note mentions that he was a soldier, had received medical treatment for an unspecified injury and was returning to his station inAbu Ghraib,Iraq.[3]
Since 2013, he was recruiting and facilitating the travel of fighters for IS. He was named IS's emir for theSyria–Turkey border and he received new foreign fighter recruits and provided them light weapons training before sending them to Syria. He arranged the movement of Europeans to Turkey and on to Syria. He and other IS border officials assisted foreign fighters from theUnited Kingdom,Albania andDenmark.[citation needed]
In the middle of 2013, he worked withAbu Muhammad al-Adnani to move an individual to a training camp inDeir ez-Zor, Syria. Also around this time, he was a leader of foreign operations for IS and had ordered individuals to plan a large operation targeting aUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon commander.[citation needed]
He also worked to help raise funds from Gulf-based donors for IS. In September 2013, he arranged for IS to receive approximately $2 million from aQatar-based IS financier, who required that the funds were used for military operations only. The Qatar financier also requested Abu Umar's help with funding efforts in Qatar.[citation needed]
In late 2013, he was IS's amir of suicide bombers and a central part of the network that controlled suicide and vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attacks inIraq. As part of this role, he moved IS members from Syria into Iraq. In October 2013, he requested suicide bombers for operations in Iraq from a Syria-based associate. He also worked with his brother to procure and ship weapons fromLibya to Syria for IS.[4]
In early 2014, he was involved in recruiting North Africans to IS.[citation needed]
On September 24 2014, he was designated by theUS Treasury Department as aSpecially Designated Global Terrorist with a long list of alternate names and several alternative birthdates. His Tunisian passport number was Z-050399. On May 5, 2015 TheU.S. Department of State'sRewards for Justice Program offered a reward of US$3 million for information leading to his capture.[5]
Tariq al-Harzi was killed in a USdrone strike atShaddadi in north-eastern Syria on 16 June 2015.[6][7] His brother Ali Awni al-Harzi was killed the previous day in a US airstrike onMosul, Iraq.[7][8]
An article in theIslamic State's newspaperal-Naba confirms that Tariq al-Harzi was responsible for suicide attacks, referring to him as "the good brother and inciter of the istishhadiyin (martyrdom seekers)" and gives his nom de guerre as Abu ‘Umar at-Tunisi. It also confirms his death by saying 'Rahimahullah' after his name.[9]
His younger brotherAli Awni al-Harzi was also an Islamic militant and member of theIslamic State. He was killed a day before the death of his older brother. Their father's name is Taher Ouni Harzi while their mother's name is Borkana Bedairia.
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