Al-Baghdadi’s death will damage ISIS, but not destroy it

Under al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State largely ran on its own. While he demanded fealty and built a cult of personality around himself — followers considered him the leader of Muslims worldwide — he was obsessed with security and is known to have given subordinates considerable latitude to act autonomously.

Suspected members of the Islamic State in a prison run by Kurdish-led forces in Syria. The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, is a significant blow to the world’s most fearsome terrorist group. (Ivor Prickett/The New York Times)

Written by Ben Hubbard, Rukmini Callimachi and Alissa J. Rubin