The Islamic State (IS) group confirmed the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a statement on Thursday and named his replacement as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.
“We mourn you ... commander of the faithful,” said Abu Hamza al-Quraishi — presented as the new IS spokesman — in an audio statement.
Al-Baghdadi, who had led IS since 2014 and was the world’s most wanted man, was killed in a US special forces raid in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib on Sunday.
Photo: AFP
The group also confirmed the killing in another raid the following day of the group’s previous spokesman, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir.
The statement said that the IS legislative and consultative body convened after the 48-year-old Iraqi-born chief’s death.
“The Islamic State shura council convened immediately after confirming the martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the elders of the holy warriors agreed” on a replacement, said the seven-minute message.
Little is known about Hashimi, whose name was seldom mentioned as a possible successor the multiple times that al-Baghdadi was reported killed in recent years.
“We don’t know much about him except that he is the leading judge of IS and he heads the Shariah [Islamic law] committee,” said Hisham al-Hashemi, an Iraqi expert on the IS.
Al-Quraishi also issued a stark warning to the US.
In the message, al-Quraishi described Trump as “a crazy old man” and warned the US that the group’s supporters would avenge al-Baghdadi’s death.
“Do not rejoice America,” he said. “The new chosen one will make you forget the horror you have beholden ... and make the achievements of the al-Baghdadi days taste sweet.”
Al-Quraishi also referred to an earlier call by al-Baghdadi for the thousands of IS fighters held in Syrian and Iraqi prisons to be freed.
Syrian Kurdish forces run prisons in northeastern Syria, where they say about 12,000 IS suspects are held.
Most of those prisoners are Iraqi and Syrian, but the detainees also include more than 2,000 foreigners who hail from more than 50 countries.
A Turkish invasion targeting the Kurdish forces that had fought against the IS in Baghouz has wrought havoc in northeastern Syria.
Observers have warned that the power vacuum might create an opportunity for IS to rebuild and make fresh territorial gains.
The IS has a very horizontal structure and the impact of a decapitation strike might be more symbolic than operational, leaving the group’s global jihadist brand and efficiency as an insurgency largely intact, analysts have said.
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