IS leader Baghdadi 'may have been killed by Russia'

Moscow: Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that it is verifying reports whether the Islamic State militant group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by its forces on the southern outskirts of Syria's Raqqa.

The ministry said the Russian airstrike may have killed Baghdadi along with 330 terrorists on May 28, Tass reported.

The airstrike was carried out overnight against a command post, where the IS group's leaders were meeting to discuss the routes for the terrorists' exit from Raqqa through the "southern corridor", the ministry said in a statement.

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The air raid was launched following drone footage confirmation of the council's meeting location, the statement said.

The US was said to have been informed in advance of the Russian strike, Sputnik reported.

IANS