Overview

Saudi national Tirad al-Jarba, a.k.a. Abu Muhammad al-Shimali, is a U.S.-, U.N.-, and EU-designated terrorist and a senior member of ISIS. According to the U.S. Department of State, Shimali served as the border chief of ISIS’s Immigration and Logistics Committee.Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, accessed August 31, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu_al_shimali.html;
“Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Terrorist Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, November 18, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249666.htm;
“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1815,” Official Journal of the European Union,” October 10, 2015, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32015R1815. In this role, he reportedly facilitated the travel of foreign fighters into Syria from Turkey.Gordon Rayner, “US offers $5 million reward for Isil ‘gatekeeper’ who arranges terrorists’ safe passage from Syria,” Telegraph (London), November 19, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12005623/US-offers-5-million-reward-for-Isil-gatekeeper-who-arranges-terrorists-safe-passage-from-Syria.html;
“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing: QDi.370 Tarad Mohammad Aljarba,” United Nations Security Council, September 29, 2015, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/tarad-mohammad-aljarba. In September 2017, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had killed Shimali in airstrikes in eastern Syria, though there has been no outside confirmation of Shimali’s death.“Russia Announces the Killing of The Leader Abu Muhammad al-Shimali in Daesh,” Al-Hurra, September 8, 2017, https://www.alhurra.com/a/Syria-Russian-airstrike-isis/390749.html.

Shimali had previously been floated in Western media as a possible successor to Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, ISIS’s former spokesman and head of its external operations unit. Following ISIS’s announcement of Adnani’s death on August 30, 2016, Syrian journalist Hassan Hassan named Shimali as Adnani’s “likely replacement” as head of the group’s external operations.Hassan Hassan, “Can IS survive killings of its core leadership?,” BBC News, September 1, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37244146. Although Shimali was ultimately passed up for the position of ISIS spokesman, he was reportedly serving as the emir of Syria’s Deir Ezzor province as of September 2017.“Russia Announces the Killing of The Leader Abu Muhammad al-Shimali in Daesh,” Al-Hurra, September 8, 2017, https://www.alhurra.com/a/Syria-Russian-airstrike-isis/390749.html.

As the border chief of ISIS’s Immigration and Logistics Committee, Shimali reportedly managed ISIS’s processing center for new recruits in Azaz, Syria, and facilitated the travel of foreign fighters from Australia, Europe, and elsewhere in the Middle East through the southern Turkish town of Gaziantep and into Syria.Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, accessed August 31, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu_al_shimali.html;
“Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Terrorist Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, November 18, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249666.htm. Given ISIS’s loss of Azaz and all of its other territories along the Turkish border, it remains unclear if Shimali continues to hold these positions.Bassem Mroue and Zeynep Bilginsoy, “Turkey: ISIS has lost all territory along Syria-Turkey border,” Military Times, September 4, 2016, https://www.militarytimes.com/2016/09/04/turkey-isis-has-lost-all-territory-along-syria-turkey-border/.

Shimali helped organize ISIS operations outside of the so-called caliphate since mid-2014. He is suspected by French authorities of having helped ISIS operatives travel to France from Syria in order to conduct the November 2015 Paris attacks that left 130 people dead and 350 wounded.Gordon Rayner, “US offers $5 million reward for Isil ‘gatekeeper’ who arranges terrorists’ safe passage from Syria,” Telegraph (London), November 19, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12005623/US-offers-5-million-reward-for-Isil-gatekeeper-who-arranges-terrorists-safe-passage-from-Syria.html;
“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing: QDi.370 Tarad Mohammad Aljarba,” United Nations Security Council, September 29, 2015, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/tarad-mohammad-aljarba.

Shimali was born in Iraq in 1979, but became a naturalized citizen of Saudi Arabia in 2003. According to the U.S. Department of State, Shimali began fighting alongside ISIS’s predecessor—al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)—as early as 2005.Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, accessed August 31, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu_al_shimali.html;
“Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Terrorist Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, November 18, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249666.htm. Shimali was sanctioned by the United States and the United Nations for his activities with ISIS in September 2015.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing: QDi.370 Tarad Mohammad Aljarba,” United Nations Security Council, September 29, 2015, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/tarad-mohammad-aljarba;
“Treasury Sanctions Major Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Leaders, Financial Figures, Facilitators, and Supporters,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 29, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0188.aspx. He was added to the European Union’s Council Regulation list of individuals and entities associated with al-Qaeda the following month.“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1815,” Official Journal of the European Union,” October 10, 2015, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32015R1815.

In September 2017, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had killed Shimali, three other senior ISIS leaders, and 40 fighters in airstrikes against the city of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.“Russia Announces the Killing of The Leader Abu Muhammad al-Shimali in Daesh,” Al-Hurra, September 8, 2017, https://www.alhurra.com/a/Syria-Russian-airstrike-isis/390749.html. No other party has confirmed or denied the Russian claims. Shimali’s status remains unknown.

Also Known As

• Tirad al-Jarba“Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Terrorist Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, November 18, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249666.htm.
• Tarad AljarbaAbu-Muhammad al-Shimali,” U.S. Department of State, accessed August 31, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu_al_shimali.html.
• Tarad Mohammad AljarbaGordon Rayner, “US offers $5 million reward for Isil ‘gatekeeper’ who arranges terrorists’ safe passage from Syria,” Telegraph (London), November 19, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12005623/US-offers-5-million-reward-for-Isil-gatekeeper-who-arranges-terrorists-safe-passage-from-Syria.html.