Abu Osama al-Masri

Abu Osama al-Masri
Native name	أبو أسامة المصري
Born	1973 (age 43–44) North Sinai Governorate, Egypt
Nationality	Egyptian
Other names	Abu Osama al-Masri
Citizenship	Egyptian
Alma mater	Al-Azhar University
Occupation	Clothes importer
Years active	2013-present
Organization	Islamic State
Known for	Emir of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province

Muhammad Ahmad ’Ali al-Isawi, known as Abu Osama al-Masri (Arabic: أبو أسامة المصري‎) is an Egyptian scholar and leader of the Islamic State branch in the Sinai Peninsula, known as Wilayat Sinai.

He is believed to have been born in north Sinai and grew up in Sharqiya in the Nile Delta. His kunya means 'father of Osama, the Egyptian'.

As of 2015, Abu Osama is said to be 42 years old. He is reported to have been a clothing importer who studied at al-Azhar University, a top Sunni institution in Cairo.

Prior to the 2011 Egyptian revolution he is believed to have been imprisoned for some time.

In October 2014, he is believed to have traveled to Syria with about 20 followers when security forces clamped down on militants after former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was deposed in the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état.

Abu Osama was a member of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, the previous name of the group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

For much of his time in the group he served as head media spokesman.

In May 2015 a recording surfaced where Abu Osama called for attacks against Egyptian judges, saying: "It is wrong for the tyrants [judges] to jail our brothers, Poison their food... surveil them at home and in the street... destroy their homes with explosives if you can."

In the summer of 2015 they released a video showing the beheading of four Bedouin people, whom they accused of passing information to Israeli spies to assist in drone strikes. They have also conducted raids into Israel including an attack on the tourist area of Eilat and a gas pipeline.

...
Wikipedia