Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi (Arabic: أبو بكر البغدادي; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri[7][8][9] إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي in 1971) is the leader[10][11][12] of the Salafi jihadist militant terrorist organisation known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),[13] which controls territory in several countries. The group has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United Nations, as well as by the European Union and many individual states. In June 2014, he was elected by the majlis al-shura (consultative council or Shura council), representing the ahl al-hall wal-aqd[14] of the Islamic State and their caliph, which he claims to be.[15]

On 4 October 2011, the U.S. State Department added al-Baghdadi to the Specially Designated Nationals List[16] and announced a reward of up to $10 million for information or intelligence leading to his capture or death.[15][17] On 16 December 2016, the U.S. increased the reward to $25 million,[18] equal to the reward being offered for the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.[19]