Iraq's National Intelligence Service late on Wednesday announced it had arrested a possible successor to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.
Agents with the service arrested Abdul Nasser Qardash, a security source told the Iraqi News Agency.
He said Qardash led ISIS's last major battle in Baghouz, Syria, which began in February 2019.
No details have been provided on the circumstances of the arrest.
Qardash is reported to be an Iraqi of Turkmen origin from the Tal Afar region near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Qardash, like Al Baghdadi, had been detained in Iraq by US forces that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
He had served as a religious commissar for Al Qaeda before joining ISIS and welcomed Al Baghdadi in Mosul, when the city fell to the group in 2014.
Al Baghdadi died in October 2019 in Idlib, Syria, after detonating a suicide vest when he fled into a tunnel as US special forces troops closed in, the US government said.
He oversaw ISIS’s takeover of large areas in Iraq and Syria, ultimately announcing the establishment of a "caliphate" in Mosul on July 4.
During Al Baghdadi's tenure, the terrorist group carried out executions of civilians and enslaved religious minorities.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The%20specs
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
