Concern as ISIS social media posts surge after terrorist’s suicide

in chat rooms. “God willing, whatever happens, Islamic jihad will not rely on any one individual, but will always stand tall on the orders of God and His Prophet,” read one posting under the handle Ansurul Ummah.

Another participant, Abu Abdullah Asy Syami, posted: “Jihad will never stop, even if our own caliph dies.”

Others have been playing down his death, writing: “What the impure Crusaders do not understand with regard to the Muslims’ creed, especially that of the jihad fighters, is that jihad in its entirety is not founded on men, but on creed.

“The creed does not die with the death or killing of men.”

Terrorism analyst Michael Smith, a lecturer in Johns Hopkins University’s Global Security Studies programme, told

that Al Baghdadi’s death had not interrupted the group’s official propaganda output.

“From a counterterrorism perspective, the manner in which Al Baghdadi died is ultimately very problematic, because it makes him an even greater example of the global jihadist movement he aspired to lead,” he said.

“By killing himself versus being killed or captured by American forces, Al Baghdadi enhanced ISIS’s capacity to use his legend to continue building and reinforcing support for the group.”

Chelsea Daymon, terrorism researcher at the American University’s School of Public Affairs, said some ISIS supporters claimed that reports of Al Baghdadi’s death were untrue.

“Supporters have been posting images, as well as past audio messages, of Al Baghdadi, with sentiment, offering prayers for his safety and such.”

On Monday the UK said it was increasing its monitoring of known terrorist suspects over fears of retaliatory attacks.

Malaysia’s counterterrorism chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the real concern was not ISIS’s leadership.

He said Al Baghdadi’s “death would have little impact here because the main problem remains the spread of the ISIS ideology. What we are most worried about now are ‘lone wolf’ attacks and those who are self-radicalised through the internet.”