ISIS Says Another Leader Has Been Killed

ISIS is now on its third leader of the year, according to a statement from the terror group's media affiliate. The group, also known as the Islamic State, said Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was "killed while struggling against the enemies of God," CNN reports. The group said the leader killed "some of them before being killed like a man on the battlefield." He was appointed in March, the month after the US said his predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, blew himself up during a US raid in Syria. The ISIS statement didn't say when or where the commander was killed.

ISIS named the new leader as Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, a man the group described as a "veteran fighter." Al-Qurayshi, the name of the prophet Mohammed's tribe, is a nom de guerre used by ISIS leaders; the three leaders are not believed to be related to each other, the AP notes. The change in leadership comes as ISIS is stepping up attacks in Iraq and Syria, and its affiliate in Afghanistan is carrying out more attacks in that country. Asked about the development, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, "We certainly welcome the news of the death of another ISIS leader. I don’t have any additional operational details to provide at this time." (More ISIS stories.)