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| Abu Baker Bhaghdadi confirmed killed by Russian Air Strikes |
Moscow: Viktor Ozerov, the head of the defense committee in the Russian upper house of parliament told Russian Intrafax News Agency that, the likelihood that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed is close to 100 percent.
“I think this information is close to 100 percent,” the agency quoted Ozerov as saying.
“The fact that Islamic State has still not shown him anywhere also adds to our confidence that al-Baghdadi has been killed.”
In a statement, the army said Sukhoi warplanes carried out a 10-minute night-time strike early on May 28 at a location near Raqa, where IS leaders had gathered to plan a pullout by militants from the group’s stronghold.
“According to information which is being checked through various channels, the leader of ISIL Ibrahim Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi was also present at the meeting and was eliminated by the strike,” it said. ISIL is an acronym for the so-called IS group, also known as ISIS and Daesh.
The strike occurred from 2135 to 2245 GMT on May 27 following confirmation of the meeting by a drone. Those killed included the emir of Raqa and the IS security chief, the statement said.