Sari Shihab

{{Short description|Jordanian national (1973–2019)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

Sari Muhammad Hasan Shihab, known as Abu Khalid al-Muhandis (1973 – 22 August 2019), was a Jordanian national born in 1973 who was a member of the different groups that were founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was one of the initial members of the Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad organization which was founded by al-Zarqawi in 1999. Shihab was also known as Abu Safar and Suhayb.Jean Charles Brisard and Damien Martinez, Zarqawi: The New Face of Al Qaeda (Cambridge 2005) p 136 Shihab was one of five al-Qaeda leaders who were released by Iran in March 2015 in exchange for a kidnapped Iranian diplomat in Yemen. The other four were Saif al-Adel, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, Abu Khayr al-Masri and Khalid al-Aruri.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/world/middleeast/iran-released-top-members-of-al-qaeda-in-a-trade.html|title=Iran Released Top Members of Al Qaeda in a Trade|date=17 September 2015|work=New York Times}}

According to one report, Sari Shihab was "involved in WMD programs and plots."{{cite web|url=http://metransparent.net/news/en/al-qaidas-external-operations-unit-is-back/|title=Al Qa'ida's External Operations Unit is back|date=19 September 2015|publisher=|accessdate=27 May 2016}} Sky News described Shihab and Al-Aruri as "The Iranians have also released two lesser known, though no less dangerous, operatives, both of Jordanian descent."{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1552303/terror-fears-as-iran-frees-al-qaeda-members|title=Terror Fears As Iran Frees Al Qaeda Members|date=14 September 2015|publisher=Sky News}}

Shihab was killed in an explosion in Idlib, Syria on August 22, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/08/al-qaeda-veteran-reportedly-killed-in-idlib.php|title = Al Qaeda veteran reportedly killed in Idlib | FDD's Long War Journal|date = 22 August 2019}}