Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the leader of the so-called Islamic State has been killed, according to reports.

Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi was “neutralised” in an operation carried out by Turkish forces in northern Syria, the Turkish government reportedly announced late on Sunday night.

The operation is understood to have taken place earlier this weekend in the town of Jindires, which is located close to Syria’s border with Turkey, BNO News reports. 

Earlier reports had indicated that a senior Islamic State leader had blown himself up after finding himself cornered.

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