Overview
Maher al-Agal was the leader of ISIS in Syria. On July 12, 2022, al-Agal was killed in a U.S. drone strike outside of Jindayris, northwestern Syria.“Strike conducted in Syria, U.S. Central Command Public Affairs,” U.S. Central Command, July 12, 2022, https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3089938/strike-conducted-in-syria/.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, al-Agal served as a prominent commander for ISIS when the terror group controlled Raqqa. Al-Agal presumably rose within the ranks, as he eventually became the leader of ISIS in Syria and one of the terror network’s top five leaders. Within that role, al-Agal was responsible for expanding ISIS’s operations and outreach outside of Iraq and Syria.“Strike conducted in Syria, U.S. Central Command Public Affairs,” U.S. Central Command, July 12, 2022, https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3089938/strike-conducted-in-syria/.
At some point in 2020, al-Agal moved to Afrin, northern Syria, where he aligned himself with Turkish-backed factions. Al-Agal proved himself to be militarily apt once again and became the commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, a U.S. sanctioned, Turkish-backed armed group in northern Syria. Among the group’s members are former ISIS leaders and fighters. The group has carried out numerous crimes against the Syrian Kurds, including unlawful killings, abductions, and torture.“US drone strike kills Islamic State Syria chief: Pentagon,” France 24, July 12, 2022, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220712-us-drone-strike-kills-islamic-state-syria-chief-pentagon; “Coalition drone attack | Former senior ISIS commander among two people killed in Afrin’s Jendires,” Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, July 12, 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/259214/; “Treasury Sanctions Syrian Regime Prisons, Officials, and Syrian Armed Group,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 28, 2021, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0292.
On July 12, 2022, the United States launched an airstrike that struck al-Agal while he was riding a motorcycle near Jindayris, northwestern Syria.“Pentagon says US drone strike kills 'IS' chief in Syria,” Deutsche Welle, July 12, 2022, https://www.dw.com/en/pentagon-says-us-drone-strike-kills-is-chief-in-syria/a-62446364. An unnamed affiliate of al-Agal—and a fellow senior ISIS official—was also injured in the strike. The senior official eventually succumbed to his injuries.Karoun Demirjian and Kareem Fahim, “Key Islamic State figure killed in Syria drone strike, U.S. says,” Washington Post, July 12, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/07/12/isis-leader-maher-al-agal-killed/.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- ISIS
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Leader in Syria – deceased
ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.