IS militants Anbar, Iraq, in 2014. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria.

“This individual was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organization in Syria yesterday,” Erdogan said in an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster. 

Erdogan said the Turkish intelligence organization had pursued Qurashi for a long time. Syrian local and security sources said the raid took place in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris.

IS selected al-Qurashi as its leader last November after the previous IS leader was killed in an operation in southern Syria.