MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry has said that it was investigating whether one of its air strikes in Syria killed Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group (IS).
The ministry said an airstrike may have killed al-Baghdadi and up to 330 other fighters on 28 May.
It said the raid had targeted a meeting of the IS military council in its de-facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria.
“According to information that is checked through various channels, IS leader Ibrahim Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed as a result of the strike, was also present at the meeting,” an official from the ministry said.
Baghdadi’s whereabouts have been unknown for some time, although he was believed to be in Mosul in Iraq before a US-led coalition began an effort to reclaim the city in October 2016.
In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as “terrorist” and offered a $10m (then £6.4m) reward for information leading to his capture or death.
