Al-Baghdadi seriously wounded, no longer heads IS

Rasa - Unconfirmed reports suggests that Islamic State’s leader, Abubakr al-Baghdadi, was seriously wounded in an air strike on a convoy in western Iraq and is no longer commanding its fighters.

News ID: 2386

Date: 22 April 2015 - 16:35

RNA - Islamic State’s leader, Abubakr al-Baghdadi, was seriously wounded in an air strike on a convoy in western Iraq and is no longer commanding its fighters, sources say.

It is believed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi came close to death, and it is not clear if a new leader has emerged.

According to British Guardian newspaper, Baghdadi’s wounding led to urgent meetings of Isis leaders, who initially believed he would die and made plans to name a new leader.

Although Baghdadi’s wounds were at first life-threatening, he has since made a slow recovery. However, he has not resumed day-to-day control of the organization.

After seizing control of a large chunk of Iraq and Syria last June and threatening Baghdad, Isis has recently lost substantial ground.

The report has not yet been confirmed by US officials. “We have nothing to confirm this report,” said a Pentagon spokesman.

Ba'aj has been considered as a safe haven for terrorists since 2004 and has always remained outside of state control and has long been used by smugglers to import goods from nearby Syria.

ISIL launched an offensive in Iraq in June last year and took control of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, before sweeping through parts of the country’s heartland.

The terrorists have committed heinous crimes and threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians during their advances in Iraq.

Iraqi soldiers, police units, Kurdish forces, Shia fighters and Sunni tribesmen have been engaged in joint operations to drive the terrorists out of the areas they have seized.

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