Islamic State names new leader, confirms predecessor was killed

The Islamic State confirmed the death of its leader and named his successor Thursday, several months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially claimed his forces killed the head of the extremist group.

The group’s leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, died while fighting with an al Qaeda-linked group in northwestern Syria, spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari said, according to The Associated Press. However, al-Ansari did not specify when he was killed.

Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi was named the new leader of the Islamic State group, assuming the al-Qurayshi name every leader has taken since founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the AP reported.

Erdogan said in April that Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi had been killed during an operation by Turkish intelligence forces in northern Syria, a claim the extremist group denied.

The former leader came to power after his predecessor was killed in battle last October. The leader of the Islamic State group before him was killed during a U.S. raid in Syria last February.

The group’s Khorasan Province branch claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Pakistan election rally on Sunday that killed 63 people and injured nearly 200 others.