The United States has once again announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the location of Khadra Iise—also known as Umm Qaqa al-Somali—whom the U.S. has identified as the head of Sharia instructors for the ISIS group.
The “Rewards for Justice” program stated that Khadra Iise, who was born in Somalia but holds Dutch citizenship, traveled to Syria in 2014 to join ISIS.
She reportedly received training in the use of weapons and explosives, as well as in suicide operations. The U.S. stated that she consistently advocated for violence and encouraged other ISIS members to carry out attacks in various countries.
The department also noted that Khadra indoctrinated individuals with ISIS’s extremist ideology—which justified suicide attacks and the killing of civilians—and was accused of recruiting new members for the group.
She served as the leader of Nusaybah Katibah (ISIS-NK), an all-female ISIS battalion established in Raqqa, Syria, in 2016.
The battalion recruited and organized women, training them in combat and military skills. The U.S. stated that at its peak, the group had hundreds of trained members, including American and European citizens.
Although the strength of ISIS-NK declined after ISIS was defeated in the territories it controlled, the U.S. says the group remains active and continues to pose a threat.
The U.S. State Department stated that while leading a faction of ISIS-NK, this woman played a role in enforcing the group’s interpretation of Sharia law, particularly rules restricting women.
She is accused of issuing orders that resulted in physical punishment for women, including beatings and even killings.
She is also accused of holding abducted children in her custody, including two American siblings, Yusuf and Zahra Shikder.
