In a recent update on Telegram Thursday, Daesh confirmed the death of its leader. Several news outlets have reported on this.
However, the group did not provide a specific date for when Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi, their former leader, died.
Back in April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his intelligence forces had successfully neutralized al-Qurayshi. In contrast, Daesh now asserts that the leader met his demise at the hands of members belonging to the Syrian Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), within the Idlib province.
According to Al Jazeera, Daesh revealed on Thursday that their leader had lost his life during “direct clashes” with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group in the Idlib province, located in the rebel-held northwestern part of Syria.
Reports also suggest that the group’s spokesperson mentioned that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which holds control over certain areas within the Idlib province, claimed responsibility for eliminating the chief of Daesh and subsequently handed over the remains to Turkish authorities.
Daesh has accused the HTS group of operating in favor of Ankara’s interests, even though the HTS group has not claimed any operation targeting the Daesh leader.
In light of this development, a representative from Daesh has stated that the organization’s new leader will be Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi.
