Islamic State announces new leader following death of predecessor

Militant Islamic State fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria
Reuters
Sami Quadri11 March 2022

Islamic State has announced Abu Hassan Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi as its new leader following the death of its former chief.

Former leader Abu Ibrahim Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi was killed by US special forces in a raid in north-west Syria in February.

The 45-year-old’s death was a huge blow to the violent Sunni Islamist group and came just two years after longtime leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a similar raid.

In an audio message released on Thursday, IS spokesman Abu Omar al-Muhajer identified Abu Hassan as the successor and said the late IS chief had chosen him.

IS personnel have "pledged allegiance" to "Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as an emir over believers and the caliph of Muslims," the group’s spokesperson said.

“He has accepted the leadership.”

There was no immediate information about the new leader and it is not known if he is Iraqi like his two predecessors.

Ex-chief Abu Ibrahim took over as head of the militant group in October 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died.

A US official said he died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as US forces approached.

Residents said helicopters flew overhead and US forces clashed with gunmen for more than two hours around a two-story house surrounded by olive trees.

Al-Quraishi was also known as Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla.

The US president, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official. The president was kept abreast of the commandos’ long flight out of Syria by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan overnight.

The operation was hailed as a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere - including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal - had led allies and opponents to conclude US power globally was weakening.

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