Sister of slain ISIS leader captured by Turkey, official says
Turkey has captured the sister of slain ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the northern Syrian town of Azaz, according to a senior Turkish official, who shared an image of Rasmiya Awad’s falsified identity card exclusively with CNN.
Not much is known about Awad, 65, but Ankara hopes her capture will lead to a wealth of intelligence about the militant group. She is currently being questioned by authorities.
“This kind of thing is an intelligence gold mine. What she knows about ISIS can significantly expand our understanding of the group and help us catch more bad guys,” the Turkish official said.
Awad was detained in a raid on a metal container housing unit in Azaz, Aleppo province, part of a region that has been administered by Turkey since it carried out an operation to clear the border of ISIS militants in 2016.
The Turkish official did not provide details about the date of the operation.
Awad was taken into custody alongside her husband and daughter-in-law, who were also being questioned by Turkish authorities. Five children were found with them during the raid, the official said.
Photos shared by Turkish officials showed Awad dressed in a black abaya headscarf and loose, blue patterned clothing.
Awad’s fake ID card, shared exclusively with CNN, identified her under the pseudonym Rajha Alllawi Ahmed.
Turkey has described the discovery of Baghdadi’s relatives as a boon for its intel about ISIS, saying that it will help the country better protect itself and Europe from terrorists.
The elusive and highly secretive leader of ISIS died during a raid conducted last month by the US military in close coordination with American intelligence and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northwest Syria.
Baghdadi “blew himself up” after he was cornered by US forces in a tunnel within his compound, US President Donald Trump said during a press conference detailing the mission. His identity was later confirmed by DNA tests.
The world’s most wanted man oversaw the militant group’s transformation from a ragtag insurgency to a global terror network that attracted tens of thousands of fighters to its so-called “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.
At the group’s height, Baghdadi reigned over a territory the size of Britain, from which ISIS orchestrated attacks carried out in countries around the world.
This story has been corrected to reflect that the ID card belonging to Baghdadi’s sister was falsified.
