The Islamic State group's leadership has a "deep bench" and a replacement for deceased chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could surface within weeks, the US government's top counter-terrorism expert said Wednesday.
Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Russ Travers did not predict which IS figure would take over after Baghdadi, cornered in a weekend US military raid, killed himself in a Syria.
But he said the group has a number of people who could take the helm, with the ability to command some 14,000 fighters who have dispersed across Syria and Iraq.
"There's no question that the losses over the weekend were significant to ISIS," Travers told the House Homeland Security Committee, referring to Baghdadi's death as well to the killing of IS spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir.
"At the same time, it's a deep bench," he said.
"The United States and the coalition overall has had tremendous success in eliminating leadership over the years in both Al-Qaeda and ISIS. And yet the bench tends to rise to the top."
"I suspect al-Zawahiri will play elder statesman and issue his own." "We will see calls for attacks against Western interests. And then we will see requests for the branches and affiliates to swear allegiance to the new leader."