The Islamic State terrorist group claimed the death of its ringleader, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. A spokesman for the terrorists said Hashimi had been killed "in a battle with the enemies of God," without specifying the date or circumstances of his death, AFP reported.

Speaking in an audio message, he called the new head of the group Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. He called on all groups loyal to IS to swear allegiance to its fourth leader.

The previous head of the IS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, was killed in February this year in a U.S. raid in Idlib province in northern Syria.

His predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also killed in Idlib in October 2019.