Fadel Ahmed Abdullah al-Hiyali

Fadel Ahmed Abdullah al-Hiyali, better known as Haji Mutazz, or by his nom de guerre Abu Muslim al-Turkmani (Arabic: أبو مسلم التركماني‎), also Abu Mu’taz, was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) governor for territories held by the organization in Iraq. Considered the ISIS second-in-command (along with his counterpart Abu Ali al-Anbari, who holds a similar position in Syria), he played a political role of overseeing the local councils and a military role that includes directing operations against opponents of ISIS. His names were also spelt Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, and Hajji Mutazz.

Biography

An ethnic Turkmen born in Tel Afar, Nineveh Province, al-Hiyali was an Iraqi Army Colonel under Saddam Hussein. According to documents discovered in Iraq, al-Hiyali was a lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi military's intelligence unit Istikhbarat (Directorate of General Military Intelligence), who also spent time as a Special Forces officer in the Special Republican Guard right up until the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was decommissioned from the Iraqi army after U.S. forces arrived, and joined Sunni insurgents to fight the Americans. Like other ISIS leaders, Abu Muslim Al Turkmani spent time in a US prison in Iraq, specifically Camp Bucca. He once practiced a moderate form of Islam.

He oversaw ISIS designated governors in various cities and regions of Iraq, including identified shadow governors in areas that ISIS does not control, but has aspirations over. "I describe Baghdadi as a shepherd, and his deputies are the dogs who herd the sheep (ISIS members), the strength of the shepherd comes from his dogs." said Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst who had access to documents discovered which provided details on al-Hiyali.

In a June 2015 New York Times article, al-Turkmani was said to have been the head of the Islamic State’s military council. He reportedly led the council of six to nine military commanders who directed the Islamic State’s military strategy, according to Laith Alkhouri, a senior analyst at Flashpoint Global Partners.

He was killed by a US-led drone strike near Mosul, Iraq, on 18 August, 2015. There had previously been erroneous report of him having died on 7 November, 2014. This was believed to have been due to a case of mistaken identity.

Major media outlets had reported that al-Turkmani was killed in an early November or early December 2014 airstrike. The Wall Street Journal for example published on November 9, 2014, "Residents of Mosul and other people with connections to Islamic State said Friday (Nov 7) night’s airstrikes had killed Abu Muslim al Turkmani, one of Mr. Baghdadi’s top lieutenants. Twitter accounts connected to Islamic State have publicly been mourning the death of Mr. Turkmani, who had effectively governed Islamic State territory in Iraq." Islamic State did not confirm his death at that time.