Back-to-back U.S. operations Saturday and Sunday have resulted in the deaths of Islamic State militant group (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and spokesperson Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir in Syria, but the organization has already designated a successor.

Abdullah Qardash, sometimes spelled Kardesh and also known as Hajji Abdullah al-Afari, was said to have been nominated by Baghdadi in August to run the group"s "Muslim affairs" in a widely-circulated statement attributed to ISIS" official Amaq news outlet, but never publicly endorsed by the group.

World leaders have responded to the information on the elimination of the first Islamic State terrorist.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called Al Baghdad"s death a major blow to the Islamic State.

Turkish and UK leaders believe that the elimination of al-Baghdadi has not ended the fight against the Islamic State.

Russia is questioning the death of the Dashi leader and asking the U.S. to provide credible information.