The Islamic State jihadist group confirmed the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a statement Thursday and named his replacement as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.

"We mourn you... commander of the faithful," said Abu Hamza al-Quraishi -- presented as the jihadist group's new spokesman -- in an audio statement.

Baghdadi, who led IS since 2014 and was the world's most wanted man, was killed in a US special forces raid in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on Sunday.

The group also confirmed the killing in another raid the following day of the group's previous spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir.

The statement said the jihadist group's legislative and consultative body convened after the 48-year-old Iraqi-born jihadist chief's death.

"The Islamic State shura council convened immediately after confirming the martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the elders of the holy warriors agreed" on a replacement, said the seven-minute message.

Little is known about Hashimi, whose name was seldom mentioned as a possible successor the multiple times that Baghdadi was reported killed in recent years.

"We don't know much about him except that he is the leading judge of IS and he heads the Sharia (Islamic law) committee," said Hisham al-Hashemi, an Iraqi expert on IS.

The IS spokesman also issued a stark warning to the United States, whose President Donald Trump announced Baghdadi's death in a televised address from the White House.

- 'Crazy old man' -

"He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said on Sunday, adding that Baghdadi "died like a dog".

In the new audio message, the new IS spokesman described Trump as "a crazy old man" and warned the US that the group's supporters would avenge Baghdadi's death.

"Do not rejoice America," he warned, "the new chosen one will make you forget the horror you have beholden... and make the achievements of the Baghdadi days taste sweet".

The spokesman also referred to an earlier call by Baghdadi for the thousands of IS fighters held in Syrian and Iraqi prisons to be freed.

Syrian Kurdish forces run prisons in northeastern Syria where they say around 12,000 IS suspects are held.

Most of those prisoners are Iraqi and Syrian but the detainees also include more than 2,000 foreigners who hail from more than 50 different countries.

With aerial and logistical assistance from an international coalition led by the US, Iraqi and Syrian forces have wrested back all the territory lost to IS in 2014.

Fighters from the newly-formed IS group that year swept through much of the Sunni heartland in Iraq and Syria to declare a "caliphate" that further expanded to reach roughly the size of Great Britain.

Years of battles led to the elimination in 2019 of IS' self-declared territorial "caliphate", ending an unprecedented experiment in jihadist statehood which saw a well-organised administration mint its own currency, produce school textbooks and levy taxes.

But while that entity collapsed in March in the remote eastern Syrian village of Baghouz, the organisation went underground and reverted to well-honed guerrilla tactics that continue to do damage.

A recent Turkish invasion targeting the Kurdish forces that had fought against IS in Baghouz has wrought havoc in northeastern Syria, whose geopolitical map is being redrawn.

Observers have warned that the power vacuum and confusion may create an opportunity for IS to rebuild and make fresh territorial gains.

IS has a very horizontal structure, analysts say, and the impact of a decapitation strike may be more symbolic than operational, leaving the group's global jihadist brand and efficiency as an insurgency largely intact.

Canine hero Conan to get White House welcome after Baghdadi raid
Washington (AFP) Oct 31, 2019 - They say every dog has its day -- and so it will be for this consummate paw-fessional who has been invited to the White House in recognition of his heroic role in taking out jihadist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Conan, a veteran of numerous combat missions, proved his bark was as frightening as his bite as he took point in the weekend US commando raid that led to the death of the Islamic State group's leader in Syria.

The Belgian Malinois's identity was a closely-guarded secret until it was declassified by President Donald Trump, who retweeted a picture of the tongue-wagging pooch after the raid at Baghdadi's lair in northern Syria.

The president even confirmed Conan's name in a tweet in the small hours of Thursday, as he revealed the canine would be leaving the Middle East for Washington, "sometime next week."

Conan chased Baghdadi into a dead-end tunnel in his Syrian hideout, where the cornered IS leader detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and two children, according to the US account.

Conan was injured by the electric cables exposed in the detonation but is expected to make a full recovery.

While human soldiers wounded in battle for the US can be eligible for a Purple Heart, there is not thought to be an equivalent Purple Bark.

Details about Conan's life, achievements and family background are scant, although he certainly comes from good stock: US Navy SEALs used a Belgian Malinois in the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The head of US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, said Conan was a "critical member of our forces" and mentioned his impressive record of 50 combat missions in four years of service.

- 'Talented dog' -

The president -- celebrated and upbraided for repeatedly smashing through Washington norms -- has ended a tradition going back more than a century by not having a dog in the White House.

And while 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue differs from an estimated 63 million US households in that respect, Trump certainly has the political chops not to pass up a chance to bask in Conan's reflected glory.

When he announced the death of the world's most wanted jihadist on Sunday, Trump praised "our canine -- I call it a dog, a beautiful dog, a talented dog."

Another norm that hasn't overly troubled the commander-in-chief is the practice among special forces of keeping their working animals out of the limelight.

National security experts have taken to Twitter in recent days with serious complaints that declassifying Conan's identity could have breached national security.

"For those joking about the classified dog name, there's actually a security reason for it: Knowing dog's name, u can determine the handler," tweeted retired army general Mark Hertling, a former commander of US land forces in Europe.

"Knowing the handler, u can determine the unit; Knowing the unit, tells which Delta unit(s) was part of the raid."

At the first press briefing after the operation, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, hailed the animal's "tremendous service" but also said its identity must be protected.

On social media Trump's supporters, and others, raved about the dog's bravery.

The president tweeted a manipulated image depicting him bestowing Conan with an imaginary Medal of Honor -- the highest US military distinction -- alongside the legend: "AMERICAN HERO."

The last president not to have a pet dog in the White House was William McKinley (1897-1901), although he had roosters, Angora kittens and a parrot, according to the online Presidential Pet Museum.

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New IS leader could replace Baghdadi in weeks: US official
Washington (AFP) Oct 30, 2019
The Islamic State group's leadership has a "deep bench" and a replacement for deceased chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could surface within weeks, the US government's top counter-terrorism expert said Wednesday. Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Russ Travers did not predict which IS figure would take over after Baghdadi, cornered in a weekend US military raid, killed himself in a Syria. But he said the group has a number of people who could take the helm, with the ability to com ... read more