Islamic State confirms death of its leader, names new one

The Islamic State confirmed on Thursday the death of its leader Abu Ibrahim Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi and its spokesperson Abu Hamza Al-Quraishi, and announced Abu Al-Hassan Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi as its new chief.

Quraishi, a religious scholar and soldier in former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s army who led IS from the shadows for a little over two years, died in a US special forces raid in Idlib in February when he detonated a bomb that killed him and family members.

Four IS leaders caught or killed in Turkish-held territory

He was the fourth IS leader or senior official killed or captured in Turkish-held Idlib. The operation at Atmeh had been prepared for months, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were also involved in the planning.

The target of the mission was just a few kilometers from the place where the then IS boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in autumn 2019. According to the SDF spokesman Ferhad Şami, there were three Turkish army bases within 200 meters of al-Quraishi’s house. According to US President Joe Biden, al-Quraishi is also said to have been responsible for the IS storm on the prison in Hesekê, which killed 121 SDF members, security forces and civilians at the end of January.

It is not yet known who the new IS leader is. The surname al-Quraishi refers to the tribe of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and is repeatedly used as a code name by IS leaders.