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US Offers $5M Reward for IS Leader


FILE - The State Department building in Washington, D.C.
FILE - The State Department building in Washington, D.C.

The United States is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location or identification of Islamic State leader Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali.

The U.S. State Department said al-Shimali is responsible for facilitating the travel of foreign fighters through Turkey to Syria to fight for the militant group.

He is believed to have coordinated "smuggling activities, financial transfers, and the movement of supplies into Syria and Iraq from Europe, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula," the department's statement said.

The U.N. Security Council, which had already designated al-Shimali as a terrorist, has imposed a travel ban on the Saudi-born jihadist.

The U.N. sanctions listing says al-Shimali will turn 36 on Friday and formerly was a member of al-Qaida.

The reward for al-Shimali was announced as the United States and Turkey are getting ready for a major effort to secure the border near the Syrian town of Jarablus, where he is said to be the IS leader.

Some information for this report came from AFP.

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