According to the Russian defence ministry, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may have been killed by a Russian air strike that targeted several ISIS leaders in late May.
The defence ministry is presently carrying out investigations to verify the information and officially declare the leader of the “Islamic caliphate” dead. In a statement to the media, Russia’s defence ministry said that 30 ISIS commanders and at least 300 soldiers were at the meeting at Raqqa which was targeted by Russian air strikes. al-Baghdadi was also believed to be at the meeting.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi came to the limelight when he declared the formation of the Islamic caliphate under the ISIS. The terror organization has since suffered significant losses at the hands of Syrian forces. Earlier, it was reported that al-Baghdadi was on the run as Syrian forces advanced on the city of Mosul, ISIS’ capital. If al-Baghdadi’s death is confirmed, it will be a significant blow to the leadership and long-term survivability of the ISIS.