Amru al-Absi was a member of ISIS’s ruling Shura Council, reportedly in charge of ISIS’s media arm.Richard Barrett, “The Islamic State,” Soufan Group, November 2014, 52, http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf. The Shura Council is responsible for disseminating orders from ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Al-Absi reportedly acted as a liaison between ISIS and religious leaders in the region.Richard Barrett, “The Islamic State,” Soufan Group, November 2014, 30, http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf.

Al-Absi was responsible for ISIS’s social-media campaign.Britta Sandberg, “Hashtags and Holy War: Islamic State Tweets Its Way to Success,” Spiegel Online, November 19, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-former-fbi-agent-and-islamic-state-expert-ali-soufan-a-1003853.html. In this capacity, al-Absi oversaw a cadre of mostly anonymous bloggers, writers, and researchers throughout the Middle East and North Africa to maintain ISIS’s media campaign on Twitter, YouTube, and other sites.Richard Barrett, “The Islamic State,” Soufan Group, November 2014, 30, http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf.

Analysts have credited al-Absi’s social-media strategy in part for ISIS’s successful recruitment of foreign fighters and ability to credibly present ISIS as a modernized alternative to al-Qaeda.Britta Sandberg, “Hashtags and Holy War: Islamic State Tweets Its Way to Success,” Spiegel Online, November 19, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-former-fbi-agent-and-islamic-state-expert-ali-soufan-a-1003853.html. By June 2014, ISIS had attracted 12,000 foreign fighters.Britta Sandberg, “Hashtags and Holy War: Islamic State Tweets Its Way to Success,” Spiegel Online, November 19, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-former-fbi-agent-and-islamic-state-expert-ali-soufan-a-1003853.html. The number had grown to 16,000 by November 2014.Britta Sandberg, “Hashtags and Holy War: Islamic State Tweets Its Way to Success,” Spiegel Online, November 19, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-former-fbi-agent-and-islamic-state-expert-ali-soufan-a-1003853.html. Al-Absi also reportedly convinced Chechen fighter Omar al-Shishani and his Army of Emigrants and Partisans to fight under the ISIS banner.Suhaib Anjarini, “Chechen jihadists in Syria: The case of Omar al-Shishani,” Al-Akbar English, May 1, 2014, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/19615.

Al-Absi was previously ISIS’s governor of Syria’s Aleppo region. He became the provincial governor of Homs in July 2014.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 24, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/232067.htm. The U.S. has accused al-Absi of orchestrating ISIS’s kidnappings.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 24, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/232067.htm. Great Britain’s Telegraph dubbed him the “kidnapper-in-chief.”David Blair and Raf Sanchez, “Senior Isil commander raised £1.25 million from Qatari nationals, says US Treasury,” Telegraph, September 26, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/11124714/Senior-Isil-commander-raised-1.25-million-from-Qatari-nationals-says-US-Treasury.html.

Al-Absi’s older brother Firas al-Absi led the rebel group Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen, or the Shura Council.Nour Malas, “As Syrian Islamists Gain, It’s Rebel Against Rebel,” Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2012, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323975004578499100684326558. Firas al-Absi went missing in late August 2012 and his body was discovered in early September.Nour Malas, “As Syrian Islamists Gain, It’s Rebel Against Rebel,” Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2012, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323975004578499100684326558.  The younger al-Absi took command of Majlis Shura al-MujahideenCharles Lister, “Islamic State Senior Leadership: Who’s Who,” Brookings Institute, November 2014, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2014/11/profiling%20islamic%20state%20lister/en_whos_who.pdf. and swore revenge on the rebel group al-Farouk Battalions for killing Firas.Khaled Yacoub Oweis, “Turf war feared after Syrian rebel leader killed,” Reuters, January 11, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-syria-crisis-assassination-idUSBRE90A07N20130111. Al-Absi reportedly grew Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen from 180 fighters to 540.Radwan Mortada, “Al-Qaeda Leaks II: Baghdadi Loses His Shadow,” Al-Akbar English, January 14, 2014, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/18219.

A Twitter user called WikiBaghdady credits Al-Absi for first proposing the idea of a singular caliphate to Baghdadi.Radwan Mortada, “Al-Qaeda Leaks II: Baghdadi Loses His Shadow,” Al-Akbar English, January 14, 2014, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/18219.

Tarkhan Batirashvili—known by his alias ‘Omar al-Shishani’—was ISIS’s deputy leader and overall military commander before he was reported killed during combat in July 2016.Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/. The United States has not confirmed al-Shishani’s death.Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/.

For years, al-Shishani—a former sergeant in the Georgian Army—was one of ISIS’s most senior military commanders, a member of the group’s elite Shura Council, and overall commander of its armies.Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/. According to the U.S. Pentagon, al-Shishani was ISIS’s “minister of war.”Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/. Al-Shishani was also the reported “mastermind” behind ISIS’s swift gains in Iraq’s Anbar province in the fall of 2014, where he reportedly led a force of some 1,000 Russian-speaking fighters.Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/.

Reportedly born to a Christian father and an ethnic Chechen Muslim mother, al-Shishani grew up as a shepherd boy, allegedly watching rebel fighters pass by his hometown in the Pankisi Gorge.“Hundreds Of Chechens Join ISIS, Including Group's No. 2 Leader,” NPR, September 5, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/09/05/345997449/hundreds-of-chechens-join-isis-including-group-s-no-2-leader. After high school, al-Shishani joined the army, where he served in the intelligence unit and received training from the United States on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, eventually becoming a sergeant.“Hundreds Of Chechens Join ISIS, Including Group's No. 2 Leader,” NPR, September 5, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/09/05/345997449/hundreds-of-chechens-join-isis-including-group-s-no-2-leader;
Michael Winfrey, “How Islamic State Grooms Chechen Fighters Against Putin,” Bloomberg, October 9, 2014, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-08/how-islamic-state-grooms-chechen-fighters-against-putin;
Mohanad Hage Ali, “Meet ISIS’ new breed of Chechen militants,” Al-Arabiya, August 31, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2014/08/31/Meet-ISIS-new-breed-of-Chechen-Militants-.html. In 2010, al-Shishani was diagnosed with tuberculosis and dismissed from the army. He was arrested later that year for illegally storing weapons, and sentenced to three years in prison.“Hundreds Of Chechens Join ISIS, Including Group's No. 2 Leader,” NPR, September 5, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/09/05/345997449/hundreds-of-chechens-join-isis-including-group-s-no-2-leader. According to his father, this is where al-Shishani was radicalized.Michael Winfrey, “How Islamic State Grooms Chechen Fighters Against Putin,” Bloomberg, October 9, 2014, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-08/how-islamic-state-grooms-chechen-fighters-against-putin. On another occasion, his father said that al-Shishani was radicalized by his older brother Tamaz.Will Cathcart, Vazha Tavberidz, and Nino Burchuladze, “The Secret Life of an ISIS Warlord,” Daily Beast,October 27, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/27/the-secret-life-of-an-isis-warlord.html.

Al-Shishani moved to Syria in March 2012. There, he led a rebel brigade of Chechen fighters aligned with the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s formal affiliate in Syria. In March 2013, al-Shishani's group merged with other jihadists to form a larger and more structured group called Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Army of Emigrants and Supporters).Duncan Gardham, “EXCLUSIVE: Grinning ISIS commander who recruits jihadis from Home Counties taunts Britain 'from beyond the grave',” Daily Mail, November 18, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2839307/Grinning-ISIS-commander-recruits-jihadis-Home-Counties-taunts-Britain-grave.html#ixzz3S6jRwlkS. Al-Shishani served as the commander.“Treasury Designates Twelve Foreign Terrorist Fighter Facilitators,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 24, 2014, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2651.aspx.

In May 2013, al-Shishani and some of his followers from Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar pledged allegiance to ISIS. Al-Shishani was appointed ISIS’s northern commander, overseeing military operations in Aleppo, Raqqa, Latakia, and northern Idlib province. By late 2013, al-Shishani was known as the emir (leader) of northern Syria, and in charge of the group’s fighters from Chechnya and the Caucasus.“Treasury Designates Twelve Foreign Terrorist Fighter Facilitators,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 24, 2014, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2651.aspx. According to his father, al-Shishani has threatened Russia, saying that one day he would “come home and show the Russians,” and that he has “many thousands following” him.Michael Winfrey, “How Islamic State Grooms Chechen Fighters Against Putin,” Bloomberg, October 9, 2014, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-08/how-islamic-state-grooms-chechen-fighters-against-putin.

Al-Shishani was falsely reported killed multiple times, including in a March 2016 U.S. airstrike.Michael Kaplan, “Chechen ISIS Fighter Dead? Abu Omar Al-Shishani, Top Islamic State Commander, May Have Been Killed By US Airstrike,” International Business Times, March 8, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.com/chechen-isis-fighter-dead-abu-omar-al-shishani-top-islamic-state-commander-may-have-2332626; Barbara Starr, “U.S. assesses ISIS operative Omar al-Shishani is dead,” CNN, March 15, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/14/politics/u-s-confirms-death-of-isis-operative-omar-al-shishani/. In July 2016, ISIS’s Amaq news agency reported that al-Shishani was killed during combat in Shirqat, Iraq, though the U.S. did not confirm al-Shishani’s death.Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State says ‘minister of war’ Shishani killed,” Reuters, July 14, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/>http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/".

David Drugeon is a French foreign fighter in Syria and reported member of the Khorasan group. He is an alleged expert in bomb-making. Reports once claimed that Drugeon defected from France’s intelligence services,Mitchell Prothero, “Sources: U.S. air strikes in Syria targeted French agent who defected to al Qaida,” McClatchy, October 5, 2014, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/10/05/242218_sources-us-air-strikes-in-syria.html?rh=1. but they have since been discredited. French officials have formally denied any links between Drugeon and France’s intelligence community.Eric Pelletier and Boris Thiolay, “Sur la piste du Français d'Al-Qaïda,” L’Express, October 21, 2014, http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/sur-la-piste-du-francais-d-al-qaeda_1613834.html.

The U.S. began conducting airstrikes against the Khorasan group on September 22, 2014. U.S. officials believe that Drugeon was killed in November 2014 airstrikes, although they could not confirm his death.“U.S. Attacks Al Qaeda-Linked Militants Khorasan,” Wall Street Journal, November 6, 2014, http://www.wsj.com/articles/activists-say-us-struck-syrian-rebel-compound-1415266868. CNN and French outlet L’Express reported in December 2014 that Drugeon survived the strike.Barbara Starr and Paul Cruickshank, “Officials: Khorasan Group bomb maker thought dead survived,” CNN, December 11, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/10/politics/kohrasan-group-bomb-maker-survived/. On September 23, 2015, U.S. intelligence sources confirmed that Drugeon was killed in an airstrike in July 2015.Eugene Scott and Barbara Starr, “Pentagon confirms death of al Qaeda-tied bombmaker,” CNN, September 23, 2015, https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/23/politics/david-drugeon-al-qaeda-bombmaker/index.html.