--- description: The elusive Adnani, who runs ISIS propaganda, has evaded capture from coalition forces and is one of the most senior Syrian operatives title: How the Voice of ISIS Became its Head of Intelligence image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd05f26abc9f6e1a9/6988a114f887dc622ae96f39/isis-flag.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [ISIS](/tag/isis/) ## ISIS Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Everything We Know About ISIS Spy Chief Abu Mohammad al-Adnani by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:46 AM CUTPublished: Aug 4, 2016 12:58 PM CUT  An ISIS flag is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and ISIS militants in Rashad, on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, Iraq, on Sept. 11, 2014. An ISIS flag is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and ISIS militants in Rashad, on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, Iraq, on Sept. 11, 2014.JM Lopez—AFP/Getty Images by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:46 AM CUTPublished: Aug 4, 2016 12:58 PM CUT Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, ISIS’s propaganda chief and spokesperson, has [reportedly been killed in northern Syria](http://time.com/4472948/isis-spokesman-dead-syria/ "undefined"). [A New York _Times_ ](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/world/middleeast/isis-german-recruit-interview.html "undefined")investigation found that the ISIS intelligence unit, known in Arabic as Emni, has built a complex hierarchy of lieutenants and foreign nationals “empowered to plan attacks in different regions of the world.” According to the _Times_, records show that small groups of operatives— chosen by nationality— have been sent to Germany, Spain, Austria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia and Bangladesh. Emni trainees are thought to have led the attacks on Paris in Nov. 2015 and created the suitcase bombs in March’s Brussels assault. At the top of Emni’s pyramid is the elusive Adnani, who has evaded capture from coalition forces and is one of the most senior Syrian operatives of ISIS. Here is what we know him: **Early years**The 39-year-old, whose birth name is Taha Sobhi Falaha, was born in the town of Binnish near the city of Idlib in northern Syria.[ He fought against the U.S. led coalition in Iraq ](http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230676.htm "undefined")and is believed to have been captured between 2005 and 2010 of the conflict. During his time at the U.S. camp detention facility Camp Bucca, [it is reported that Adnani](http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/en/originals/2015/03/isis-baghdadi-islamic-state-caliph-many-names-al-qaeda.html "undefined") first met Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi— the current leader and self-proclaimed caliph of ISIS. **Becoming the voice of ISIS**Adnani revealed the group’s aims to be a governing entity rather than a terrorist group in June 2014 when he [first declared ISIS a “caliphate,”](http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-crisis-iraq-idUKKBN0F40SD20140629 "undefined") led by Baghdadi. He began to be known as the official spokesman of the group and the U.S. Department of State officially [designated him as a terrorist](http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230676.htm "undefined") in Aug. 2014\. In September that year, [Adnani wrote in ISIS’s _Dabiq_](https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2016/7/27/killing-alone-the-lone-wolf-terrorist-phenomena "undefined") magazine calling for ISIS sympathizers, or ‘lone-wolf’ terrorists, to launch attacks on the West. “If you are not able to find a bomb or a bullet, then 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 … If you are unable to do so, then burn his home, car, or business. Or destroy his crops. If you are unable to do so, then spit in his face” Adnani wrote. **Wounded in battle** In Jan. 2016, [reports claimed Adnani ](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/07/middleeast/isis-leader-abu-mohammed-al-adnani/ "undefined")was injured in an airstrike in the the Iraqi town of Barwanah. Iraq’s joint operation command said he had lost “large amounts of blood” and was transported to the Iraqi city of Hit for treatment. The Syrian still has [a $5 million bounty](https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu%5Fal%5Fadnani.html "undefined") on his head and in an audio clip distributed on May 22, is believed to have called followers to launch attacks in Europe and the U.S. “Ramadan, the month of conquest and jihad. Get prepared, be ready” [Adnani said, according to _Reuters_](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-islamicstate-idUSKCN0YC0OG "undefined"). “To make it a month of calamity everywhere for the non-believers … especially for the fighters and supporters of the caliphate in Europe and America.” **The propagandist turns spy chief**Jailed jihadist Harry Sarfo told the _Times_ how Emni recruited and reallocated individuals to launch terrorist attacks abroad. Sarfo, who is a German national, said “the big man behind everything is Abu Muhammad al-Adnani.” Sarfo also claimed that recruits would meet Adnani once they finished 10 levels of training and they would pledge alliance to him blindfolded. Not even Adnani’s top fighters, says Sarfo, know what this lynchpin of ISIS’s global terrorism operations looks like. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4438388/abu-mohammad-al-adnani-isis-emni-profile/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4438388/abu-mohammad-al-adnani-isis-emni-profile/"},"headline":"Everything We Know About ISIS Spy Chief Abu Mohammad al-Adnani","datePublished":"2016-08-04T12:58:52.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T04:46:00.000Z","description":"Adnani has gone from chief propagandist to head of ISIS's intelligence unit","url":"https://time.com/4438388/abu-mohammad-al-adnani-isis-emni-profile/","keywords":["ISIS","Terrorism"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd05f26abc9f6e1a9/6988a114f887dc622ae96f39/isis-flag.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tara John","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tara-john/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd05f26abc9f6e1a9/6988a114f887dc622ae96f39/isis-flag.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A flag of the Islamic State (IS) is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Islamist militants in Rashad, on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, on September 11, 2014.","caption":"An ISIS flag is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and ISIS militants in Rashad, on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, Iraq, on Sept. 11, 2014.","creditText":"JM Lopez—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/isis/","name":"ISIS"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4438388/abu-mohammad-al-adnani-isis-emni-profile/","name":"Everything We Know About ISIS Spy Chief Abu Mohammad al-Adnani"}}]}] ```