ISIS leader killed in battle, second commander of militant Islamist group to die this year

The leader of ISIS was recently killed in battle, making him the second commander of the militant Islamist group to be slain this year.

The announcement about the death of little-known Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was made Wednesday by a group spokesperson. 

Al-Qurayshi rose to power after Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed in February in Syria by U.S. special forces, according to the New York Post.

The spokesperson provide no further details about the death of the group's most recent leader except that he died "fighting the enemies of God killing some of them before being killed like a man on the battlefield."

The group's new leader is Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, the spokesman also said.

Though all three have, or had, the name al-Qurayshi, they are not believed to be related. The name refers to the Seventh Century Islamic Prophet Muhammad, the Post also reports.

No group has claimed responsibility for the most recent killing.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said no additional details about the death are available but that U.S. defense officials "welcome the news of the death of another ISIS leader."