President Erdoğan said the Turkish intel MIT has “neutralized” the ISIS leader Al Quraishi in Syria in a special operation on April 29. Security sources stated that Al Quraishi detonated a suicide bomb during the operation at a house in Northern Syria. (Photo: Security sources)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) had “neutralized” ISIS leader Abu Hussein al-Quraishi.
Erdoğan announced on live TV on April 30 that MIT neutralized Quraishi, whom had been “followed for a long time,” in an operation in Syria on April 29.
The expression “neutralized” usually means “killed” by Turkish security forces in foreign operations.
Erdoğan, who did not give details of the operation, said:
“God willing, we will continue our fight against terrorist organizations without discrimination. I mean, when America, etc. neutralizes the heads of such DAESH, the heads of terrorist organizations here and there, they make the world stand up. Here you go, we have neutralized not one, not two, not three, but many of them, we have neutralized regarding DAESH, and how many of them we have neutralized regarding the PKK.”
With those words Erdoğan was indirectly criticising the US Administration of fighting ISIS by cooperating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara regards as a offshoot of outlawed Kuristan Worker’s Party (PKK), despite regarding the PKK as terrorist organisation.
Security sources: “Qurayshi blasted a suicide vest”
Hours after Erdoğan’s announcement, security forces issued a statement on May 1.
According to the statement obtained by YetkinReport, MIT killed the leader in an operation at a house in Northern Syria on April 29, 2023.
The MİT special operations team organized a special operation after receiving intelligence that al-Qurayshi was in Jindereste in Afrin, the sources detailed.
“An operation was carried out against a house in the northern region of Syria, which also contained a camouflaged underground bunker,” the statement read.
According to the security source, after the MIT special operations team entered the building, al-Quraishi “detonated his suicide vest when he realized he would be captured.”
“No harm was reported to the MIT special operations team or civilians during or after the operation,” the statement read
Previous leader killed by US troops
The previous leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi, was killed by US troops on February 3, 2022, and its founding leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed near Idlib on October 26, 2019.
Abu Hussein al-Quraishi joined ISIS in 2013 and quickly rose to senior positions. He was declared caliph on November 30, 2022, following the killing of the previous leader of ISIS, Abu Hassan al-Quraishi.
Those who succeeded Baghdadi at the head of ISIS used the code name “Quraysh”, the family name of the Prophet Muhammad, to identify themselves as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
ISIS actions in Türkiye
MIT caught Kasım Güler, who was reportedly responsible for the ISIS organization in Türkiye, on June 15, 2021, while trying to infiltrate the country.
In the indictment prepared against Güler, it was claimed that ISIS buried weapons in six places in Turkey to be used when necessary and that they were planning to assassinate some politicians, including the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader, and currently the presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
After the establishment of ISIS in 2013, the first action against Turkey was the Mosul Consulate General raid on June 11, 2014. No one died in this action; 49 people who were taken hostage were rescued by mediators.
On July 20, 2015, 34 people were killed and 100 injured in a suicide attack in Suruç near the Syrian border.
The deadliest terrorist attack
On October 10, 2015, 109 people were killed, and more than 500 were injured in the suicide attack on the nation-scale peace march at Ankara Train Station. This was the deadliest terrorist attack in Türkiye.
On January 12, 2016, 13 people were killed and 12 injured in a suicide attack on a tourist group in Sultanahmet, İstanbul. On March 19, 2016, 5 people were killed and 36 injured in a suicide attack on tourists on İstiklal Street, İstanbul.
On June 28, 2016, 45 people were killed and 239 injured in the İstanbul Atatürk Airport raid.
On January 1, 2017, 39 people were killed and 70 injured in the raid on the Reina nightclub in İstanbul.
Details to come
