Alwaght- Russia’s Defense Ministry says it is verifying reports whether the ISIS Takfiri terrorist group’s ringleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by a Russian airstrike on the southern outskirts of Syria’s Raqqa in late May.
The airstrike was carried out on May 28 against a command post, where the ISIS group’s leaders were meeting to discuss the routes for the terrorists’ exit from Raqqa through the so-called southern corridor, the ministry said in a statement.
"According to information, which is being verified via different channels, the meeting was also attended by the ISIS leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was eliminated in the strike," the ministry said.
"The strike, carried out by Su-35 and Su-34 jets, destroyed high-ranking commanders of the terrorist group, who were part of the so-called military council of the IS, and also some 30 middle ranking field commanders and up to 300 militants who were their bodyguards," the statement red.
On Sunday, Syrian State TV reported that al-Baghdadi, world's most wanted terrorist, was killed in Raqqa.
Over the recent parts there have been several reports on the elimination of the notorious ISIS ringleader but they have yet to be verified.
Baghdadi was hiding out in Iraqi city of Mosul in northern Iraq, but intelligence agencies believe he escaped from the city following intensive operation by the Iraqi army aimed at liberating the city. He reportedly fled to Syria’s Raqqa which is now the target of a major operation by Syrian forces to wipe out ISIS terrorists from their last stronghold.
In January it was reported the terrorist leader, who has a $25million bounty on his head, had been 'critically injured in airstrikes in northern Iraq.
