Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi

Biography Al-Bilawi belonged to the Al-bu Bali clan of the Dulaim, the largest tribe in the Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate. His tribe formed the nucleus of the resistance/insurgency against U.S. forces in Iraq. The Dulaimis returned to the armed insurgency in 2014.

The governor of Anbar at the time, Ahmad Khalaf al-Dulaimi, claimed that he taught al-Bilawi when they were both at the Iraqi Military Academy. Al-Bilawi graduated in 1993 and went on to become an infantry officer in the Iraqi military, achieving the rank of captain. Al-Bilawi was one of the approximately 500 prisoners who escaped during a mass jailbreak from Abu Ghraib prison in July 2013, following an armed assault on the prison from the outside by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Following his escape, he became a member of ISIL's Military Council and had a major role in planning and leading the group's military offensive in Northern and Central Iraq. Al-Bilawi had been leading the planning for a military operation against Mosul, following his death ISIL launched the attack, resulting in their total seizure of the city by 9 June 2014. The attack was named the "Invasion of Asadullah al-Bilawi Abu Abdul Rahman" in his honour.

His death was acknowledged by ISIL's official spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, in a June 2014 statement that praised his contributions to the group. He was reportedly succeeded by Abu Muhannad al-Suwaydawi as leader of the ISIL Military Council.