Syrian government says it killed ISIS leader in October

Terrorist group this week named a new leader

ISIS has named a new leader after Abu Al Hassan Al Hashimi Al Qurayshi was killed in October. Syria has claimed the killing. Reuters

The Syrian army says it was responsible for the killing of the head of ISIS in October, state media reported on Friday

The US military said Abu Al Hassan Al Hashemi Al Qurashi was killed in an operation carried out in Deraa in southern Syria, the site of the first protests against the regime in 2011.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance that has previously fought ISIS, said on Thursday that it was not involved in the operation.

ISIS said its leader was killed “in combat with enemies of God”.

A security source in Deraa province told the state news agency Sana that the operation directly involved Syrian army troops as well as "local and civil groups" and resulted in his killing on October 15.

The city was returned to Syrian army control in 2018 after Russian-brokered reconciliation deals led to rebels handing over heavy weapons and being incorporated into pro-government units.

In October, some of those fighters surrounded the house Al Qurashi was using as a hideout in the town of Jasem, according to former rebels involved in the clash, relatives of others who died in the fighting, and residents.

The group named its new leader, Abu Al Hussain Al Hussaini Al Qurashi this week, but gave few details about him, who he is, or if his leadership will change the depleted group's actions.