ISIS’ No. 2 man in command and spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, has been killed and his death comes just six months after two other top leaders, Haji Iman and Omar al-Shishani, were killed. He was at the top of the U.S. hit list with a $5 million bounty on his head, but it is not yet known whether or not the United States is responsible for his killing.
NBC terrorism analyst, Evan Kohlmann, explained to NBC that al-Adnani was a prominent figure in ISIS and had his hand in executing terrorist attacks abroad. “There is a large amount of evidence suggesting that he was tremendously influential in terms of pushing individuals in Western countries to carry out homegrown terrorist attacks,” he said.
Back in September 2014, al-Adnani ordered the killings of Westerners, especially Americans, in a proclamation which stated:
“If you can kill a disbelieving American or European — especially the spiteful and filthy French — or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be.
Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.”
The leader’s death is not expected to necessarily weaken ISIS, however, Laith Alkhouri, co-founder of Flashpoint, believes that it could kill the spirit of the fighters who idolized him. Nevertheless, al-Adnani’s death may provide some peace, if only for a little while!
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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/amp/isis-says-no-2-leader-mohammad-al-adnani-dead-n640171
