ISIS leader killed in Turkish operation in Syria: Erdogan

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also issued a statement confirming that the ISIS leader was killed in Afrin and belonged to the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya group.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivering remarks via live video link at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, April 27, 2023. (Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/HO/AFP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivering remarks via live video link at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, April 27, 2023. (Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/HO/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that the alleged ISIS leader, Abu Hussein al-Qurashi, was killed in a mission conducted by Turkey's spy agency, MIT, in northern Syria.

His announcement comes ahead of the upcoming general and presidential elections in Turkey, scheduled to take place on May 14.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that a military operation was carried out targeting the Al-Sharqiya Army commander at his headquarters in Jenderes, within the Afrin region.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also issued a statement confirming that the ISIS leader was killed in Afrin and belonged to the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya group.

“There is nothing new about this incident except for the end of a mission targeting an ISIS member that had long been protected by Turkish intelligence in Afrin,” the SDF said.

SOHR also noted that Turkish-backed factions harbor high-ranking members of ISIS, who often hide among these groups to exploit the security instability.

Previously, the US had targeted ISIS leaders in Turkish-controlled areas with drone strikes and air raids. 

The US in 2021 sanctioned Ahrar al-Sharqiya for integrating numerous former ISIS members into its ranks and for violating the human rights of the Kurds.