ISIL Announces Death of Leader, Names Successor
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has confirmed the death of its leader, Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, and announced Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi as his successor. Turkey had previously announced the killing of the ISIL leader in April. The group stated that Abu Hussein al-Qurashi was killed in clashes with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group in Idlib province, Syria. ISIL's rule, known for its brutality, collapsed in 2017 in Iraq and 2019 in Syria, but sleeper cells continue to carry out attacks. Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi is the fifth leader of ISIL since its inception.