Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (2003–2004) Al-Qaeda (2004–2013) Syrian Civil War Samir Abd Muhammad al-Khlifawi (Arabic: سمير عبد محمد العبيدي الدليمي; c. 1958-1964 – January 2014), better known by the pseudonym Haji Bakr (Arabic: حجي بكر) and sometimes his kunya Abu Bakr al-Iraqi (Arabic: أبو بكر العراقي),[4] was a senior leader of the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), heading its Military Council and leading its operations in Syria, prior to his killing by Syrian rebels in January 2014.

[2][5] Previously a Colonel in the Iraqi Intelligence Service, papers found after his death indicated that al-Khlifawi played a key role in devising the plans ISIL used to conquer and administer territory in Syria and Iraq.

[6] According to Iraqi journalist Hisham al-Hashimi, whose cousin served with Khlifawi, he was stationed for a period of time at Habbaniya Air Base.

This would expand to include kidnappings and assassinations of potential threats before the group would seize control of the territory and utilize the already established network of informers in the area to become the base of a governance system.

Soon after, rival Syrian rebel militiamen forced their way into his house and al-Khlifawi fought the attackers back with his AK weapon but he was killed during the gunfights.