<p>The Islamic State jihadist group confirmed the death of its leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi in a statement Thursday and named Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as his replacement.</p>.<p>IS jihadists have "pledged allegiance" to "Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as an emir over believers and the caliph of Muslims," the group's spokesperson said in an audio recording.</p>.<p>The recording confirmed the death of the former IS chief along with the group's ex-spokesman.</p>.<p>"Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi and the official Islamic State group spokesman... Abu Hamza al-Qurashi...were killed in recent days," the new spokesperson said.</p>.<p>The former leader blew himself up in early February during a US raid in northwest Syria, according to Washington, in an area controlled by rival jihadists.</p>.<p>Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, who led IS from 2019, was an ethnic Turkmen from the Iraqi city of Tal Afar. He replaced IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a US raid in October that year.</p>.<p>Little is known about the new leader, who will serve as the group's third chief since it's inception.</p>.<p>He rises to the helm at a time when the group has been weakened by US-backed operations in Iraq and Syria aiming to thwart a jihadist resurgence.</p>.<p>IS' self-declared caliphate, established from 2014, once stretched across vast parts of Syria and Iraq and administered millions of inhabitants.</p>.<p>A long and deadly military fightback led by Kurdish-Syrian and Iraqi forces with backing from the United States and other powers eventually defeated the jihadist proto-state in March 2019.</p>.<p>The remnants of IS in Syria mostly went to their desert hideouts from which they continue to harass Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops.</p>.<p>A UN report last year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>The Islamic State jihadist group confirmed the death of its leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi in a statement Thursday and named Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as his replacement.</p>.<p>IS jihadists have "pledged allegiance" to "Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as an emir over believers and the caliph of Muslims," the group's spokesperson said in an audio recording.</p>.<p>The recording confirmed the death of the former IS chief along with the group's ex-spokesman.</p>.<p>"Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi and the official Islamic State group spokesman... Abu Hamza al-Qurashi...were killed in recent days," the new spokesperson said.</p>.<p>The former leader blew himself up in early February during a US raid in northwest Syria, according to Washington, in an area controlled by rival jihadists.</p>.<p>Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, who led IS from 2019, was an ethnic Turkmen from the Iraqi city of Tal Afar. He replaced IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a US raid in October that year.</p>.<p>Little is known about the new leader, who will serve as the group's third chief since it's inception.</p>.<p>He rises to the helm at a time when the group has been weakened by US-backed operations in Iraq and Syria aiming to thwart a jihadist resurgence.</p>.<p>IS' self-declared caliphate, established from 2014, once stretched across vast parts of Syria and Iraq and administered millions of inhabitants.</p>.<p>A long and deadly military fightback led by Kurdish-Syrian and Iraqi forces with backing from the United States and other powers eventually defeated the jihadist proto-state in March 2019.</p>.<p>The remnants of IS in Syria mostly went to their desert hideouts from which they continue to harass Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops.</p>.<p>A UN report last year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>