Russia Claims Its Airstrike Near Raqqa Killed ISIS Leader al-Baghdadi

Russia’s military said Friday one of its air strikes in Syria in late May targeting Islamic State commanders may have killed the terror group’s leader.


A statement posted by the Russian Defense Ministry on Facebook said the strike near the Islamic State’s de-facto capital of Raqqa hit a meeting that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi attended.

It said the air raid May 28 that targeted an IS meeting held on the southern outskirts of Raqqa in Syria also killed about 30 midlevel militant leaders and about 300 other fighters.

The ministry said the strike came as IS leaders gathered to discuss the group’s withdrawal from Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital.

The Russian military said it is checking through “various channels” that al-Baghdadi was killed.
 [ voanews.com]
16/5/17