Islamic State announces new leader after death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The Islamic State has announced an unknown jihadist will be its new leader as it acknowledged for the first time the death of its founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US commando raid.

Five days after Baghdadi blew himself up in his hideout in northwest Syria, an official statement from Isil said he would be replaced by Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.

The new leader’s nom de guerre suggests he is a member of the Hashemite clan, who claim to be direct descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, but beyond that analysts said nothing was known about him.

“Don't rejoice” over Baghdadi’s death, the group’s new spokesman warned the US, saying that the jihadist group retained the ability to carry out attacks. 

The speaker, named Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi, confirmed that he had taken over from Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, the previous spokesman, who was killed shortly after Baghdadi.