After the death of the former boss: Terrorist fighters IS appointed a new leader

After the death of the former employer
Terrorist militants have appointed a new leader

03/10/2022 8:06 pm

In early February, the United States announced the death of IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi. The jihadists have now appointed a successor to him – and are threatening retaliation. Although militants have been pushed back in Syria and Iraq, observers warn of a resurgence.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has confirmed the death of its former leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. According to the jihadists’ audio message, he was killed along with IS official spokesman Abu Hamza. Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi was appointed the new leader. This was in accordance with the wishes of his predecessor.

Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi was killed in a US military operation in northwestern Syria in early February. Then-US President Joe Biden said he had blown himself up to avoid being held accountable for his actions. After the death of longtime IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the fall of 2019, he became the leader of the jihadists. However, not much is known about him in general. He is said to be one of the perpetrators of the Yazidi genocide, a minority in northwestern Iraq.

In a new audio message, IS also announced that it would retaliate for the death of their leader. The authenticity of the message could not be verified at first. However, it was also spread by the extremists ’regular social media channels. For years, IS controlled large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria. In the summer of 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a “caliph” there. In this situation, the extremists have lost their dominance again. In the spring of 2019, Kurdish-led troops captured the last stronghold of IS in Syria.

However, IS cells are still active in both countries. Observers have long warned of a resurgence of jihadists. Last January, IS militants attacked a prison in the Kurdish-controlled city of al-Hassaka in northeastern Syria in an attempt to free imprisoned terrorist militants. Activists say more than 300 people have been killed in clashes with Kurdish security forces. This is one of the few IS attacks in Syria over the years.