Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi is confirmed to be the new leader of the Islamic State. (Photo:sbs.com.au)

The UK’s Guardian news agency has reported that Salbi is one of the terror group’s founding members and has led the enslavement of Iraq’s Yazidi minority and has overseen operations around the globe. Salbi was named leader hours after the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October. He is considered one of the most influential ideologues among the now depleted ranks of ISIS.

Born into an Iraqi Turkmen family in the town of Tal Afar, he is one of the few non-Arabs among the leadership. In 2004 he was detained by US forces in Camp Bucca prison in southern Iraq where he first met Baghdadi.