SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the leader of Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, Abu Hussein al Qurashi, was killed in a raid conducted by the Turkish Intelligence Organization, MIT. The operation was reportedly part of a long-term plan and resulted in al Qurashi’s neutralization.
The death of al Qurashi, who had been leading the terrorist group’s operations in Syria, is a significant blow to ISIS. The claim has yet to be independently verified due to the absence of a response from the group.
However, the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) has disputed Erdogan’s claim that al Qurashi was killed in a recent operation by Turkish forces. According to Farhad Shami, the SDF spokesperson, al-Quraishi was stationed in a military post belonging to the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya group and was killed in Jindires, Afrin.
According to Shami, this incident is not new, but rather marks the end of a long-protected mission of an ISIS member by Turkish intelligence in occupied Afrin.
In fact, the ISIS figure Abu Husin al-Quraishi that Erdogan referred to his killing, was stationed in a military post belonging to the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya mercenary group and was killed in Jindires, Afrin. There is nothing new about this incident except for the end…
— Farhad Shami (@farhad_shami) April 30, 2023
The SDF, which is largely composed of Kurdish fighters, has been battling against ISIS in Syria with the support of the United States.
Days ago, the SDF carried out a successful solo mission to apprehend an ISIS operative, dealing a significant blow to the terrorist group’s efforts to transport dangerous weapons and personnel between northern eastern Syria and Iraq.
The Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force- Levant said in a statement that the operation would disrupt and degrade ISIS’s ability to smuggle lethal aid and individuals across the border.
In the al-Hasakah province of #Syria, the #SDF carried out a unilateral raid to degrade ISIS transportation and smuggling operations and successfully captured an #ISIS operative. The #Coalition continues to #AdviseAssistEnable our #PartnerForce in the ongoing battle against ISIS. pic.twitter.com/yxhZdHZUr5
— Combined Special Ops Joint Task Force-Levant (@SOJTF_LEVANT) April 28, 2023
