Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces had successfully eliminated Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi during an operation in Syria. In an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster, Erdogan stated, "This individual was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organization in Syria yesterday."
Erdogan revealed that Turkish intelligence had been tracking Qurashi for an extended period. According to Syrian local and security sources, the raid took place in Jandaris, a northern Syrian town controlled by Turkey-backed rebel groups that was severely impacted by the Feb. 6 earthquake affecting both Turkey and Syria.
The Syrian National Army, an opposition faction with a security presence in the area, has yet to issue any comment. A resident reported that clashes began on the outskirts of Jandaris from Saturday night into Sunday morning, lasting approximately an hour before a large explosion was heard. Security forces later surrounded the area to prevent anyone from approaching.
Al-Qurashi became the leader of IS in November 2022 after the previous leader was killed in an operation in southern Syria. In 2014, Islamic State captured vast territories in Iraq and Syria, and its leader at the time, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaimed an Islamic caliphate across the region. However, IS eventually lost control of these territories due to campaigns led by U.S.-backed forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as Iranian, Russian, and various paramilitary-backed Syrian forces.
Despite being reduced to a few thousand militants hiding in remote areas of both countries, IS remains capable of executing significant hit-and-run attacks. The U.S.-led coalition, along with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), continues to carry out raids against IS officials in Syria. In some instances, high-ranking IS members have been targeted while hiding in areas where Turkey has significant influence.
