Abu Waheeb
Abu Waheeb | |
|---|---|
Abu Waheeb | |
| Native name | شاكر وهيب |
| Nicknames | Abu Waheeb (kunya) Lion of Anbar Zarqawi's student[1] Desert Lion[2] |
| Born | Shaker Wahib al-Fahdawi شاكر وهيب الفهداوي 1986[3] |
| Died | May 6, 2016 (aged 29–30)[4][5][6] |
| Cause of death | Airstrike |
| Allegiance | Islamic State |
| Service years | 2013–2016 |
| Rank | Field Commander |
| Commands | IS Forces in Anbar |
| Conflicts | |
Shaker Wahib al-Fahdawi al-Dulaimi (1986 – May 6, 2016), better known as Abu Waheeb ("Father of Waheeb"; Arabic: ابو وهيب) or Abu Wahib, was an Iraqi militant jihadist who was the leader of the Islamic State in Anbar, Iraq.[7][8]
He was killed with three others in a United States-led coalition airstrike in May 2016, according to the US Department of Defense.[9] Omar Mateen, perpetrator of the Pulse nightclub shooting attributed the killing of Abu Waheeb, among other motivations, as rationale for the shooting.[10]
Early life and education
Fahdawi was born in 1986. In 2006, while studying computer science at the University of Anbar, he was arrested by US forces on charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Arrest
Following his arrest, Fahdawi was detained by US forces at the Camp Bucca detention facility in southern Iraq until 2009, when he was sentenced to death and moved to Tikrit Central Prison in the Saladin Governorate.[2]
Escape
Fahdawi was one of 110 detainees who escaped the prison in 2012, following an attack on the prison by forces from the Islamic State of Iraq leading to a subsequent riot within the prison.[2] He had learnt from the senior ISI leaders he had been imprisoned with, and he became a field commander in Anbar Province after his release.[2] Iraqi officials blamed him for a long list of terror-related offences and put a $50,000 bounty on him.[3]
Death
Fahdawi killed three Syrian Alawite truck drivers in western Iraq in the summer of 2013.[3] By 2014, Fahdawi was playing an important role in leading combat operations of the group, now known as the Islamic State, in Anbar Province. His notoriety in Anbar was so prominent that the province was referred to as his "hunting grounds".[11]
On May 6, 2016, the Pentagon said Abu Waheeb was killed along with three others in a vehicle by a US airstrike near Rutba.[9][12]
According to transcripts, Omar Mateen, the perpetrator of the Orlando nightclub shooting, said that the attack was a response to the killing of Abu Waheeb.[13] Mateen stated his attack was "triggered" by a May 6, 2016 U.S. bombing strike that killed Abu Waheeb. Mateen's words were: "That's what triggered it, OK? They should have not bombed and killed Abu [Waheeb]."[14] Mateen also told a negotiator that "a lot of innocent people" were being killed and, "tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq".[15][10]
References
- ^ "The Rising Star of the Islamic State (ISIS) : Sunni Terrorist Abu Wahib Shakir al-Fahdawi leader of Ussud Al-Anbar Brigade". Trac.
- ^ a b c d Abbas, Mushreq (January 15, 2014). "Has al-Qaeda found Zarqawi's successor?". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Bare-faced killer rises to fore of Iraq militancy". Gulf Times. August 28, 2013.
- ^ "US airstrike kills ISIS 'Emir of Anbar Province' in Iraq | Fox News Channel". Fox News Channel. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Senior Islamic State official in Iraq killed in air strike: Pentagon". Reuters. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "ISIS leader for Iraq's Anbar province killed in airstrike: Pentagon". Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Pentagon: Top ISIS leader killed in Iraq - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. May 9, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "Al Qaeda Is Taking Over Whole Cities in Iraq". VICE News. January 16, 2014.
- ^ a b "Islamic State leader in Iraq's Anbar killed, Pentagon says". BBC News. May 10, 2016.
- ^ a b Hattem, Julian (September 26, 2016). "Orlando gunman claimed shooting was motivated by death of ISIS operative". TheHill. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "Notorious Islamic State leader killed in airstrike, Pentagon says". The Washington Post. May 9, 2016.
- ^ Staff (May 10, 2016). "Senior Islamic State leader in Iraq, Abu Wahib, 'killed' by US airstrike". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ Sarkissian, Arek (September 24, 2016). The Associated Press (ed.). "Pulse shooter Omar Mateen told police to stop bombs in Iraq, Syria". Tallahassee Democrat. Gannett. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ Doornbos, Caitlin (September 23, 2016). "Transcripts of 911 calls reveal Pulse shooter's terrorist motives". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
Mateen referred to a U.S.-led air strike on May 6 that killed Abu Wahib, an ISIS military commander in Iraq, and three other jihadists, according to the Pentagon. "That's what triggered it, OK?" Mateen said. "They should have not bombed and killed Abu [Waheeb]."
- ^ "Omar Mateen Transcripts" (PDF). info.publicintelligence.net.