Islamic State confirms Baghdadi is dead, appoints successor

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS OCTOBER 31, 2019 / 11:38 AM / UPDATED 35 MINUTES AGO

Islamic State confirms Baghdadi is dead, appoints successor

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Islamic State militant group confirmed on Thursday its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed, the group’s news agency Amaq said in an audio tape following a U.S. weekend raid.

Baghdadi, an Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself “caliph” of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State, was killed by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria, President Donald Trump said on Sunday.

The group had been silent until now. As successor it appointed someone Amaq only identified as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi.

Aymenn al-Tamimi, a researcher at Swansea University focused on Islamic State, said the name was unknown but could be a top figure called Hajj Abdullah whom the U.S. State Department had identified as a possible successor to Baghdadi

“It could be someone we know, who perhaps has just assumed this new name,” said Tamimi.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-confirmation/islamic-state-confirms-baghdadi-is-dead-appoints-successor-idUSKBN1XA25A

[Pantagruel]

1. Consign Baghdadi

to the dung heap of history and begin the new search for Daesh leadership. It's sadly endless.

[braddy]

2. I think we also killed a possible replacement this week.

[louis-t]

3. And paint a target on his back while yer at it.

[gibraltar72]

4. Can this one walk??