Islamic State says its leader has been killed in combat
The Islamic State jihadist group said Wednesday that its leader Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has been killed in battle. A spokesman for the group said Hashimi, an Iraqi, was killed "in combat with enemies of God", without elaborating on the date or circumstances of his death. Speaking in an audio message, the spokesman identified the group's new leader as Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi. Qurashi refers to a tribe of the Prophet Mohammed, from whom IS leaders must claim descent. After a meteoric rise in Iraq and Syria in 2014 that saw it conquer vast swathes of territory, IS saw its self-proclaimed "caliphate" collapse under a wave of offensives. The Sunni Muslim extremist group's austere and terror-ridden rule was marked by beheadings and shootings. It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but sleeper cells still carry out attacks in both countries. The group or its branches have also claimed attacks elsewhere this year, including in Afghanistan, Iran and Israel. The spokesman did not provide details on the new leader, but said he was a "veteran" jihadist and called on all groups loyal to IS to pledge their allegiance to its fourth leader. Two...