The death of the leader of Baghdadi is said to be a blow to the IS, because this notorious terrorist group can hardly choose a suitable replacement.

US President Donald Trump on October 27 declared that the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (IS) had declared himself dead by detonating a suicide bomb belt when he was rushed to death by a US special task force. raid in Idlib, northwestern Syria on October 26. The militant group has not confirmed this information, nor does it imply any potential Baghdadi successors.

According to CNN commentator Paul Cruickshank, this means that anyone taking over Baghdadi's position is also likely not widely recognized with rebels around the globe, creating a challenge in spreading. IS terrorist propaganda.

In announcing the death of Baghdadi, President Trump described the man as "the world's number one terrorist leader". However, for IS and tens of thousands of global believers of this group, Baghdadi plays a bigger role than that.

Since Baghdadi was publicly introduced by the IS as "king" at al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq in July 2014, believers have regarded him as the supreme political and spiritual leader of All Muslims all over the world. IS's "Islamic state" model is also based on the notion that Baghdadi is a real "king".

Baghdadi's position helps him to hold a "right to kill" with people living in IS-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq. After ISIS lost the entire stronghold, the existence of Baghdadi still helps maintain "fire" for the followers of the rebel group. Extremists bombing the churches and hotels in Sri Lanka in April as an example. They pledge allegiance to the leader of IS.

Commentator Cruickshank said that with the removal of Baghdadi, the US neutralized the threat from a leader who was both cruel and skilled in secretly running a terrorist organization. In 2010, after becoming the leader of the IS branch in Iraq, Baghdadi reorganized the group into a force that only a few years later took control of vast territories in Syria and Iraq.

Baghdadi's important role in some respects is the "Achilles heel" of IS. "His death is a blow to ISIS's cohesion and future, although to some extent the IS ideological strategy and linkage is still imprinted on Baghdadi's leadership. ", Edmund Fitton-Brown, coordinator of the IS surveillance group and other UN terrorist groups, said.

Cruickshank said choosing Baghdadi's successor was a "headache" issue for IS, especially after Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, a spokesman for the rebel group and the leader's right-hand man, were also killed. raid by Kurdish militia and US army.

Most rebels think that the "king" needs to possess certain characteristics. One of the requirements was to come from the Quraysh tribe of the Prophet Mohammed, and to master the knowledge of Islamic law. Baghdadi captures its followers by conforming to these standards. However, they narrowed down the list of potential candidates to succeed the IS leader.

Baghdadi's death is also likely to increase the tensions that exist in IS. In recent years, different ideological factions in the Islamic State have been increasingly at odds due to disagreements over the Takfir doctrine, which extremists attribute to other Muslims of Islam as apostasy.

"Baghdadi has sought to curb conflict between the parties by creating a balance. However, this equilibrium has long become precarious and increasingly difficult to maintain," said Cole Bunzel, a research scholar. rebel movements, said.

Al-Qaeda is thought to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to unite the global rebel movement. The strong relationship between the militant group and the IS is reflected in the verbal battles between al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Baghdadi. Baghdadi's death is likely to prompt al-Qaeda to mend friction between the two groups. "The current question is how will al-Qaeda create an advantage and convince IS militants," former FBI agent Ali Soufan said.

However, the more urgent challenge for the IS is to address the consequences after the failure of intelligence that made Baghdadi's position exposed. This situation can cause reproach, distrust and further erosion of the group's cohesion. Perhaps no secret is more secretive than their supreme leader position.

After the "Islamic State" began to collapse, IS senior leaders were said to scatter around Syria and Iraq to avoid being targeted. Now they can hardly rest assured when Trump declared Washington "has obtained extremely sensitive information and documents after the raid that killed Baghdadi". Individuals arrested in the raid may also be able to provide information to help uncover the terrorist group.

Many argue that the removal of the supreme leader will reduce the threat from IS because the believers are discouraged and the rebel group loses its legitimacy. However, some have expressed concern about the risk that ISIS members around the world will seek revenge for the death of Baghdadi.

Cruickshank also thinks that the threat from IS will last longer than its leader. The terrorist group is still working to try to "regenerate" operations in Iraq and Syria. Rebels and followers also maintain a significant presence in Afghanistan, Libya, West Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia and many other parts of the world. Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria also creates a security gap that IS is likely trying to exploit.

The US military estimates that there are 18,000 IS rebels still present in Syria and Iraq. According to the United Nations, about 30,000 foreign terrorists who have joined the group are also alive. They may join terrorist networks in the future.