Suggesting that this may have been the first death caused by U.S. Leadership in the action against ISIS, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied any role of the SDF in the death of the ISIS leader, denying that it occurred in Daraa, southern Syria in mid-October. The Central Command of the United States military later confirmed the death of al-Hassan al-Abu al-Qurayshi al-Husseini al-Hussein, the successor of al-Qurayshi al-Hashimi al-Hassan, announcing that he had been killed in battle. The Islamic State (ISIS) announced on November 30th that its new leader was al-Qurayshi al-Hashimi al-Hassan, hours after confirming the death of al-Hassan al-Abu.
However, the reality appears to have been slightly more complex. Al-Hassan Abu, a member of ISIS, was reportedly killed in the town of Jassem in Daraa on October 15th, after fellow ISIS members detonated their suicide vests following a stand-off. The former rebels of the Southern Front FSA, who were backed by the U.S., Had been engaging in heavy clashes with ISIS cells in various parts of Daraa and Jassem from 2013 to 2017. These former rebels had also been coordinating with the Syrian regime’s personnel. The fighting in the city was reportedly the work of the former rebels alone.
Since 2019, the region of Daraa in Syria has been the most unstable area, with continuous inter-factional violence and intense fighting causing the collapse of the “reconciliation” agreement that had frayed at the seams over the years. In this process, former rebels in Daraa have either joined the paramilitary formations led by Russia or surrendered to the Syrian regime under a coordinated Russian-led process, with the option of being displaced to either Daraa or Idlib.
The timing of the operation in Jassem and the possible link between that and the trip is certainly intriguing, but it is impossible to know whether there was any connection. Ahmed al-Awda, who is reportedly the most influential rebel figure “reconciled” in Daraa, visited Turkey for a highly unusual visit on October 22nd, just a week after the incident where al-Hassan Abu was killed. This visit reveals significant information, as it shows that even though the U.S. Intelligence community severed its support to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in southern Syria over four years ago, there still remains operational links and clear connections to its former partners. However, it is still unclear whether the U.S. Intelligence assets or personnel on the ground were responsible for this revelation. Shortly after the incident, the U.S. Collected evidence from the compound and acquired DNA samples from the bodies. Initially, the rebels in Jassem reached out to the U.S. Contacts immediately after the incident, although they were initially unsure of the identity of those killed.
In northwestern Syria, his sibling Karim is purportedly being held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). With worldwide influence, his family was deeply ingrained within ISIS’s alleged Rawi Network, its most significant source of funds, originating from the town of Rawa in Anbar Province. The outcome of his leadership of AQI and the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) operations in Iraq’s capital was Sayf Baghdad, his well-known alias. However, it has been suggested that his true name might have been Nour Karim Matani. Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) emerged at around the same time as its establishment, and he joined the organization as an experienced ISIS operative. Between 2003 and 2010, presumably during the Iraq war, he probably spent time in U.S. Custody, as indicated by the subsequent confirmation of Abu al-Hassan’s identity through DNA samples by the United States.
Known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi al-Husseini al-Hussein, the replacement of Hassan’s al-Abu, it is suggested that his emergence as the leader of ISIS comes at a challenging time for the movement in Iraq and Syria. Sources suggest that his history as a veteran of the group and his announcement on November 30 claim that he was dead when in fact he continued to operate in Daraa, Syria, shows his intent for ISIS’s operational tempo to continue declining in Iraq but remain consistent and geographically spread in Syria. This came as a surprise, but further evidence that Syria is seen as the most favorable ground for ISIS’s operation. He had been the leader of ISIS for eight months, running a global propaganda campaign to renew allegiance and calling on supporters around the world, while also operating in a theater of ISIS’s intent in Syria.
Today, the ongoing extent of the ISIS threat is demonstrated by additional disclosures from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. Protected vehicles, along with numerous if not countless motorcycles, heavily armed, traveling in massive mobile convoys, showcase the group’s capability to gather multiple forces in the many hundreds, as declared by collections of photographs from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) pledging loyalty to Abu al-Hussein. The strength of the group’s presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, is emphasized by incoming pledges of loyalty from ISIS branches overseas. Now almost certain, a global ISIS retaliation campaign is characteristic, and the form it takes will indicate where the extremist group is most dominant. However, significant challenges are presented by ISIS in more distant locations.