Islamic State leader is killed in battle

The leader of the Islamic State, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was killed in battle recently, the group’s spokesman said in audio released Wednesday. He gave no further details.

Al-Qurayshi is the second Islamic State leader to be killed this year at a time when the extremist group has been trying to rise again with its sleeper cells carrying out deadly attacks in Iraq and Syria that they once declared a caliphate.

Little had been known about al-Qurayshi, who took over the group’s leadership following the death of his predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi alQurayshi, in a U.S. raid in February in northwest Syria.

The death marked a blow to the group that was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later. The announcement was made by Islamic State spokesman Abu Omar al-Muhajer.

Al-Qurayshi is the third leader to be killed since founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hunted down by the Americans in a raid in October 2019. No one claimed responsibility for the killing.

Little is also known about Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, who was named the group’s new leader, alMuhajer said.