The Islamic State (IS) group has welcomed the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani (BBC)

BBC
January 10, 2020 11 am
By Jeremy Bowen
Middle East Editor, Baghdad

The Islamic State (IS) group has welcomed the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force. In a statement, it described the general's demise as an act of divine intervention that benefitted jihadists. However, it made no mention at all of the US, which carried out the deadly drone strike against Soleimani in Baghdad on 3 January.

... IS has been grimly resilient over many years. It regenerated itself from the ruins of an earlier group, al-Qaeda in Iraq. A big military operation in 2016 and 2017 was needed to end IS control of territory straddling Iraq and Syria.

Many jihadist fighters ended up dead or in prison. But that did not kill the organisation.
It is still active in its old stamping grounds in Iraq and Syria, mounting ambushes, extorting funds, and ending more lives.

... In an editorial of the weekly IS newspaper al-Naba, the group said that Soleimani and al-Muhandis died at the hands of their "allies" - a reference to the US. It said the enemies of IS were busy fighting each other, which would drain their energy and resources and ultimately benefit jihadists. History has shown that jihadist extremists thrive most when they can take advantage of instability, chaos, and weakened, divided enemies.

More here

Qasem Soleimani: Why his killing is good news for IS jihadists

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51021861