The suspected leader of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi, has been killed by Turkish forces, according to an announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Qurayshi had reportedly taken over as leader of the group after the death of his predecessor last year. President Erdogan stated that the IS leader was "neutralised" during an operation by the Turkish MIT intelligence agency on Saturday. Reuters news agency cited Syrian sources who said the operation occurred in the northern town of Jandaris near the Turkish border. IS has made no comment on the reported operation, and the BBC has been unable to independently verify President Erdogan's claim.
President Erdogan noted that the MIT intelligence agency had been following Qurayshi for a "long time". The Turkish president said, "We will continue our struggle with terrorist organisations without any discrimination," without providing further details.
In November of last year, IS announced the death of its leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi. The US stated that he was killed in an operation by the rebel Free Syrian Army in southwest Syria in mid-October 2022. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had led the group before his death in a blast in February 2022, which killed himself and his family as US special forces closed in on his hideout after a gunfight.
The US President at the time, Joe Biden, praised the operation, stating that it "removed a major terrorist threat to the world". IS had previously controlled 88,000sq km (34,000sq miles) of territory stretching from northeastern Syria across northern Iraq, imposing its brutal rule on almost eight million people. The group was driven from its last piece of territory in 2019, but the UN warned in July that it remained a persistent threat.
Despite losing its territorial control, IS continues to pose a threat with between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, primarily based in rural areas, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and roadside bombings. IS regional affiliates also pose threats in other conflict zones across the world, with the UN identifying the most vigorous and well-established networks based in Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Lake Chad basin.