The Islamic State group on Sunday vowed "revenge" over the killing of its former leader, calling on supporters to take advantage of war in Ukraine to stage attacks in Europe.

"We announce, relying on God, a blessed campaign to take revenge" over the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi and the group's former spokesman, an audio message attributed to the group and circulated on the Telegram messaging app said.

The group's new spokesman, Abu-Omar al-Muhajjir, also called on supporters to resume attacks in Europe, taking advantage of the "available opportunity" of "the crusaders fighting each other" -- in reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The militant group's previous leader died in early February when he detonated a bomb to avoid capture during a US raid in northwest Syria, the White House and US defence officials said.

On March 10, the group confirmed his death, along with the group's former spokesman, naming Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as the new leader.

Little is known about the new leader, who is the jihadist group's third chief since its inception.

After losing their last territory under a military onslaught backed by the US-led coalition in March 2019, the remnants of IS in Syria mostly went into desert hideouts.

They have used such hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops. The jihadists also continue to mount attacks in Iraq.

Related Links
The Long War - Doctrine and Application

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Fears rise in Ukraine of use of chemical weapons
Paris (AFP) Apr 12, 2022
The United States said Tuesday it has "credible information" that Russia may use "chemical agents" in its offensive to take the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reigniting concerns about the use of such prohibited weapons. While the West and Kyiv have been warning Moscow since the start of its invasion on February 24 against any use of chemical weapons, fears have grown this week after unconfirmed reports emerged that such weapons may have already been deployed. The Organization for the ... read more