In a significant announcement, US President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday that an unnamed successor to former ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed by American forces.
“Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!” Trump tweeted.
Trump did not identify who the person was or any other details of the operation that killed him.
Various news organisations had speculated different names to become the successor to Baghdadi.
Abdullah Qardash was named as the likely successor to Baghdadi by a Newsweek report. Qardash was known to the US government as Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla and is listed on the US state department’s Rewards for Justice website as Baghdadi’s successor.
The Washington Post quoted Iran Advisory Council member Husham Al Hashimi as saying either the Saudi Abu Saleh al-Jazrawi or the Turkish Abu Othman al-Tunisi could take over.
Details of the US operation that allegedly killed ISIS’s next chief are awaited.
