Ultra secretive head of Islamic State al-Baghdadi is known as 'the invisible sheikh'
LITTLE is known about the secretive head of the so-called Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and he has been careful to reveal few clues to his whereabouts.
The self-proclaimed 'caliph' of IS has only appeared in public once, at a mosque in Iraq
The self-proclaimed “caliph” of IS has only appeared in public once, at a mosque in Mosul, Iraq.
Before that video emerged, there were only two known photographs of him and Baghdadi is said to wear a mask to address his commanders earning him the nickname “the invisible sheikh".
He was rumoured to have died in a US air strike earlier this year, but his followers later released an audio message from him urging Muslims to emigrate to the group’s “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq.
Even with new information about his life trickling out in the press, Baghdadi - whose real name is thought to be Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Al-Badri - remains a mysterious figure.
The IS chief, and the world’s 54th most powerful person according to Forbes magazine, has good reason to stay out of the limelight.
A predecessor, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, who preferred a more high-profile approach was killed in a US bombing raid in 2006 on his supposedly secret location.
The IS chief, and the world’s 54th most powerful person according to Forbes magazine, has good reason to stay out of the limelight
Baghdadi is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, to a middle-class family and his relatives claim to be descendants of the Prophet Mohammed.
His father taught at a mosque and his family had ties to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
Two uncles were part of Saddam’s security services and two brothers served in the dictator’s armed forces.
He follows the strict teachings of Salafi Islam that is now associated with IS’ extremist outlook.
Baghdadi was a cleric in a mosque in the Iraqi capital at the time of the US-led invasion in 2003.
Fight against ISIS
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was rumoured to have died in a US air strike earlier this year
It is thought he was already a militant jihadist during Saddam’s rule and he was held for four years at the US-run Camp Bucca in southern Iraq where many Al Qaeda commanders were also detained.
He emerged as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that morphed into Islamic State in 2010, following the death of his predecessor Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.
Baghdadi’s prestige among Islamist fighters rose after he refused to swear allegiance to the leader of the Al Qaeda network, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
He and his fighters have since openly defied the Al Qaeda chief, leading some to believe he now ranks higher in the eyes of many jihadists.
Baghdadi is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971
In 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi a 'terrorist' and put a £5.8million bounty
That, and his reputation as a ruthless and organised military strategist, has made his group more attractive to young Islamists, experts believe.
In 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi a “terrorist” and put a £5.8million bounty on his head.
As well as the uncertainty surrounding his true identity, his whereabouts are also unclear with reports he may have left Iraq and set up his base in the IS capital - Raqqa in Syria.