ISIS announces leader killed in clashes, appoints substitute
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The ISIS spokesperson announces that Abu Hafs Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi would become the new ISIS chief.
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People look at destroyed houses near the village of Barisha, in Idlib province, Syria, October 27, 2019 (AP)
ISIS announced in an undated recording on Telegram the death of its leader, Abu Al-Hussein Al-Husseini Al-Qurashi, during clashes in Idlib, in northwestern Syria.
The leader was reportedly killed in clashes with HTS, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group based in Idlib.
The spokesperson added that Abu Hafs Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi would be succeeding the slain leader as the new ISIS chief.
Abu Hafs is the group's fifth leader.
In October 2022, ISIS said its previous leader, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, had been killed.
His predecessor Abu Ibrahim Al-Qurashi was killed in February last year.
The original leader of the terrorist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed back in October 2019.
Although the terrorist group was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, sleeper cells still carry out attacks in both countries.
Read more: Syrian government & UN joint efforts to solve Al-Hasakah water crisis
Last week, ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack that targeted a hotspot for Muslims who visit Syria's Sayyidah Zeinab to perform religious pilgrimages, commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad.
The announcement came in a statement broadcast by the terrorist organization on Telegram.
The explosion claimed the lives of six martyrs and injured around 23 others as a result of a blast from an explosive-laden motorcycle.
The group also claimed responsibility for another attack in the same area earlier this week, which resulted in the injury of two individuals.
Read more: ISIS leader involved in 'Speicher' massacre in Iraqi intel hands
