Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces had killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria. In an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster, Erdogan stated, “This person was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence group in Syria yesterday.” He also mentioned that the intelligence group had been pursuing Qurashi for a long time.
According to Syrian local and security sources, the raid took place in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris, which is under the control of Turkey-backed rebel groups and was severely affected by the February 6 earthquake that struck both Turkey and Syria. The Syrian National Army, an opposition faction with a security presence in the area, has not yet made any comment. A resident reported that clashes began on the outskirts of Jandaris overnight from Saturday into Sunday, lasting for about an hour before a large explosion was heard by residents.Safety forces later encircled the world to prevent anyone from approaching the realm.
IS chose al-Qurashi as its chief in November 2022 after the previous IS leader was killed in an operation in southern Syria. Islamic State took over huge swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, its head at the time, declared an Islamic caliphate throughout territory that housed millions. However, U.S.-backed forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as Syrian forces backed by Iran, Russia, and various paramilitaries, pushed back IS and regained control over the territory. Its remaining militants have recently hidden out in remote hinterlands of both countries, but they are still capable of carrying out major hit-and-run attacks. The U.S.-led coalition, along with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance, continues to conduct raids against IS officials in Syria. In some cases, senior IS figures have been targeted while hiding out in areas where Turkey holds significant influence.
