sARAWAk - Sebuah
agensi berita dikaitkan dengan Negara Islam (IS), Amaq, telah mendakwa bahawa
Abu Omar al-Shishani, dilaporkan ketua strategi tentera kumpulan itu, telah
terbunuh selatan Mosul. Laporan media sebelum kematiannya kemudian terbukti
tidak berasas.
Al-Shishani
atau lebih dikenali sebagai Omar Chechen, dilaporkan "mati dalam
pertempuran" berhampiran bandar Iraq Shirqat, 100 kilometer dari kubu kuat
ISIS di Mosul.
Tentera
kerajaan Iraq berkata, mereka telah hampir dikelilingi Shirqat, kerana mereka
memandu serangan mereka ke arah utara ke tengah-tengah wilayah ISIS.
ISIS
says its ‘minister of war’ Omar
the Chechen has been killed . . .
A news
agency linked to Islamic State, Amaq, has claimed that Abu Omar al-Shishani,
reported to be the group’s chief military strategist, has been killed south of
Mosul. Previous media reports of his death later proved to be unfounded.
Al-Shishani,
better known as Omar the Chechen, reportedly "died in combat" near
the Iraqi city of Shirqat, 100km from the ISIS stronghold of Mosul.
Iraqi
government forces say they have almost encircled Shirqat, as they drive their
offensive northward into the heart of ISIS territory.
Baca
lebih lanjut: 'menteri perang' ISIS al-Shishani mungkin terbunuh dalam serangan
udara – Pentagon (Read more): ISIS 'minister of war' al-Shishani likely killed in airstrike –
Pentagon
Pentagon
mengesahkan sama ada al-Shishani mati dalam serangan pesawat Amerika dijalankan
awal bulan ini, pegawai-pegawai kepada CNN. Washington sebelum ini bercakap
bahawa ia mengambil al-Shishani, yang mempunyai ganjaran $ 5 juta Amerika Syarikat
pada kepalanya, di Syria pada bulan Mac, hanya untuk menarik balik apabila
Negara Islam (IS) katanya terselamat kecederaan yang dialaminya.
Pemain
berusia 30 tahun al-Shishani, yang terkenal dengan janggut merah gelap
tersendiri, dilahirkan dalam sebuah keluarga Georgian-Chechen campuran, dan
berkhidmat dalam unit ops spec dalam tentera Georgia, sebelum sukarela untuk
menyertai Negara Islam (IS) 3 tahun lalu .
Beliau
telah berulang kali digambarkan sebagai seorang komander mampu oleh
sumber-sumber perisikan Amerika Syarikat, dan telah dilaporkan berunding dengan
pemimpin ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi kepada pergerakan tentera utama, kumpulan
Islam memperluaskan capaiannya, pendapatan gelaran tidak rasmi 'menteri
perang.'
Bercakap
kepada RT dengan syarat namanya disiarkan, bekas IS pejuang dari Rusia berkata
beliau menjadi pengawal peribadi untuk Omar Chechen selepas menyedari dia mahu
melarikan diri dari "amat kejam" jenayah yang dilakukan oleh kumpulan
pengganas itu.
"Selepas
sebulan [di Syria], kita memahami realiti apa yang berlaku. Ia adalah lebih
teruk daripada kezaliman tentera kerajaan, "katanya.
"Kami
memutuskan untuk memenangi kepercayaan mereka - yang merupakan satu-satunya
cara untuk melarikan diri. Kami menjadi pengawal peribadi. Saya adalah seorang
pengawal peribadi untuk Abu Omar Al-Shishani."
"Saya
melarikan diri dengan mengatakan saya terpaksa melihat ibu saya. Saya berbohong
kepada beliau sepanjang masa, mengatakan saya di Turki. Oleh itu, saya berkata
saya mahu meletakkan fikirannya selesa, "katanya, sambil menambah bahawa
Omar Chechen dan pejuang lain memberi wang untuk membawa barang-barang kembali
meminta beliau.
Kumpulan
penyelidikan IHS baru-baru ini menerbitkan laporan yang menyatakan bahawa ISIS
telah kehilangan 12 % peratus daripada wilayahnya tahun ini sahaja, manakala
Pentagon mendakwa bahawa ia telah merosot sehingga 20 % peratus di Syria dan 45
% peratus di Iraq dari semua-masa yang tinggi.
The
Pentagon is verifying whether al-Shishani died in a US drone strike carried out
earlier this month, officials told CNN. Washington previously boasted that it
took out al-Shishani, who has a $5 million bounty on his head, in Syria in
March, only to backtrack when Islamic State said he survived his injuries.
The
30-year-old al-Shishani, famous for his distinctive red-tinted beard, was born
into a mixed Georgian-Chechen family, and served in a spec ops unit in the
Georgian army, before volunteering to join Islamic State three years ago.
He has
been repeatedly described as a capable commander by US intelligence sources,
and was reportedly consulted by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on key
military movements, as the Islamist group expanded its reach, earning the
unofficial moniker of 'minister of war.'
Speaking
to RT on condition on anonymity, a former IS fighter from Russia said he became
a bodyguard for Omar the Chechen after realizing he wanted to escape the
“extremely brutal” crimes being committed by the terror group.
“After
a month [in Syria], we understood the reality of what was happening. It was
worse than the tyranny of the government forces,” he said.
“We
decided to win their trust – that was the only way to escape. We became
bodyguards. I was a bodyguard for Abu Omar Al-Shishani.”
“I
escaped by saying I had to see my mother. I lied to her the whole time, saying
I was in Turkey. And so I said I wanted to put her mind at ease,” he said,
adding that Omar the Chechen and other fighters gave him money to bring back
requested goods.
Research
group IHS recently published a report, stating that ISIS has lost 12 percent of
its territory this year alone, while the Pentagon claims that it has shrunk by
up to 20 percent in Syria and 45 percent in Iraq from its all-time high.
