The jihadist militia "Islamic State" (IS) has confirmed the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Abi Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Kurashi has been appointed as the new leader, said the IS militia on Thursday. ISIS also confirmed in the audio message the death of another senior member, Abu al-Hassan al-Muhadschir.
US President Donald Trump had announced the killing of Baghdadi at a US deployment in northern Syria on Sunday; even the then intended successor al-Baghdadi had been killed according to his statements.
Baghdadi had been reported dead at least five times since 2015 before he actually died. Special forces from the US military had tracked him down in a homestead in northwestern Syria last weekend. According to US President Donald Trump, he escaped into a tunnel in front of the soldiers and detonated an explosives vest there.
In addition to the leader, five other IS fighters have been killed and two people taken into custody, according to the United States. Al-Muhadschir was killed in another mission, according to Trump.