Baghdad: Every war needs a hero, and Abu Azrael has emerged as a heroic figure in the war against Islamic State
Famous for killing over 1500 ISIS affiliates, Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie (Real Name) got the Arabic title of 'Abu Azrael' which roughly translates to 'Angel of Death' in English.
The very mention of his name strikes fear in the minds of Islamic State militants.
His methods may appear harsh but he is giving Isis a taste of their own medicine.
Azrael is a commander with the the Imam Ali brigade, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group sponsored by Iran.
Al-Alam, a state owned Arabic-language TV station in Iran, reported that he used to be a university PE teacher.
However, the BBC, citing sources in the country, reported that he is actually a highly-trained special forces veteran.
His ruthlessness - combined with a grim sense of humour - has gained him thousands of fans on social media, as well as the ominous nickname 'Abu Azrael'.
The badass fighter is mostly seen on internet weapons of his choice-- wielding guns, axes and swords and abusing the dead bodies of ISIS soldiers.
The way he hunts down ISIS men reminds us of one particular John Rambo – the 80's fictional character, taking on armies single-handedly.
He wreaks havoc upon his enemies with his motto of “Illa Tahin” which translates to ‘Nothing remains but flour' – meaning he wants to crush ISIS to the ground like flour.
He told news agency AFP that he has been a soldier for a long time, having battled US forces during the invasion of Iraq.
A father-of-five, he says, "You see me go to school to drop off my children and I am peaceful but I show another face to them (ISIS).”
He has been photographed jauntily riding a bike, reportedly in an area of intense fighting, while another still shows him grinning, arm casually draped across the cannon of an attack helicopter.
In one of the videos, he is seen telling the camera: “ISIS, this will be your fate, we will cut you like Shawarma(a method of grilling meat on a spit and then shaving it off)”.
His unconventional strategy has definitely worked on ground as it has helped his group in recialiming the Iraqi town of Sinjar which was lost to Isis earlier.
