The attacks’ plotters claimed allegiance to Isis, but it remains unclear whether the group inspired, or directly plotted the carnage. Officials suggest that a senior Isis figure, Abu Muhammad al-Husseini al-Hashimi, believed to be a distant cousin of Baghdadi, is instrumental in a move against him. Hashimi recently released a 231-page book calling for an uprising against Baghdadi, and for allegiance to be pledged to a new leader. It is thought to be the first open challenge to the Isis leader’s authority from within the group’s senior ranks. In it, Hashimi claims Baghdadi is a ruthless ruler who destroyed the legacy of Isis through oppressive and excessively violent behaviour.

Source: The Guardian April 29, 2019 17:09 UTC