Islamic State names new leader, confirms death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi in US raid

Islamic State has named Abu al-Hassan al-Qurayshi as their new leader, confirming the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, who was killed by the United States in north-western Syria early February 2022. 

The IS spokesperson Abu Omar al-Muhajer in an audio message on March 10th officially confirmed the death of the group’s leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and its former spokesman, Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi, in the US raid.

The IS spokesman confirmed that IS had named a successor, identifying him as Abu Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and said that he has accepted the leadership. As per Muhajer, the late IS chief had chosen his successor. 

Who is Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi?

There is no real information about the new IS leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. His real name is also not known. The name al-Qurashi comes from Quraish, the name of the tribe that Islam’s Prophet Muhammad belonged to. The name is taken up by the leaders of the Islamic state as it serves as part of an IS leader’s nom de guerre.

The leaders, despite having similar names, are not believed to be related. There is no link to suggest that the new IS leader was Iraqi like his two predecessors, both of whom were killed in rebel-held parts of Syria.

Death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was reportedly killed in an overnight raid by US special forces in the rebel-held north-western Syrian town of Atme on February 3, 2022.

As per US officials, the IS leader blew himself up along with family as the US forces raided his hideout. The operation involved about 50 US special forces, who landed in the region in helicopters and attacked the house, with gunmen for over two hours.

US President Joe Biden announced the death of the IS leader in a televised address a day later, saying that Qurayshi’s death “removed a major terrorist threat to the world”. He pointed out that the terrorist leader was accused of the genocide of the Yazidis in northern Iraq.

Abu Ibrahim was reportedly an Iraqi, who was born in the northern town of Tel Afar. He was a veteran of the post Saddam Hussein Sunni-led insurgency.

He was the fourth senior Isis leader to be tracked, captured or killed in Idlib province of Syria in the last two years. It is also the second time in three years that the US has taken out a leader of the violent group that has been struggling for a resurgence with deadly attacks in the region.

Abu Ibrahim’s predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was also killed in October 2019 in a village south of Atme.