Russian Military Says It Might Have Killed ISIS Leader

NYT ^ | JUNE 16, 2017 | ANDREW E. KRAMER and ERIC SCHMITT

[Phil V.]

MOSCOW — Russia’s military said on Friday that it was looking into whether one of its airstrikes in the Syrian desert had killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph of the Islamic State.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said that the Russian Air Force struck a meeting of Islamic State leaders on May 28 outside Raqqa, Syria, the group’s de facto capital, possibly killing Mr. Baghdadi.

[Phil V.]

MOSCOW — Russia’s military said on Friday that it was looking into whether one of its airstrikes in the Syrian desert had killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph of the Islamic State.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said that the Russian Air Force struck a meeting of Islamic State leaders on May 28 outside Raqqa, Syria, the group’s de facto capital, possibly killing Mr. Baghdadi.

[DIRTYSECRET]

“When things get done it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Ronald Reagan

[Flick Lives]

If Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed, it must be a bad thing because... Russians.

[Cementjungle]

That Bagdhadi guy has been killed many, many times it seems. One of these days his killing might kick in and become permanent.

[RayChuang88]

If this is confirmed, it would enormously harm the entire ISIS movement. After all, look at what happened to al-Qaeda once Osama bin Laden was killed--that movement ended up being replaced by ISIS.

[rdl6989]

Please excuse my ignorance, I thought he was already buried.

[rdl6989]

Please excuse my ignorance, I thought he was already buried.

[Cementjungle]

After all, look at what happened to al-Qaeda once Osama bin Laden was killed--that movement ended up being replaced by ISIS.

I still think bin Laden was killed before Obama even took office, and GWB decided to keep it quiet exactly for that reason (to prevent others from stepping up to fill the vacuum).

Bin Laden loved to put out messages publicly to his followers, and that stopped somewhere around 2007... my guess is that's when he somehow met his demise.

Obama whipped up a phony kill Osama mission to boost his own ratings. The body was quietly buried at sea. Most of Seal Team Six, the ones from that mission, were killed a few months later.

[butlerweave]

I don’t know ,he’s a slippery little bud of John McCain

[gandalftb]

Yup,
This would be the third time he’s been killed.

3 strikes you’re out? Not sure if ISIL follows baseball, though.

This report has been around for a couple of weeks. Russian special operators have been looking for him along the Iraqi border and supposedly called in an airstrike on him 3 weeks ago. European intel supposedly overheard the operators communicating this to Moscow.

Coming from the Russians, the news is encouraging. We can only hope. Unlikely he would have gone to Raqqa though, for a last stand. Nope, he’s too self-serving and remember, he’s the Caliph....

[xzins]

Baghdadi’s been killed twice in one week, once by Syrians and once by Russians. He’s been killed many times in the past.

[Seruzawa]

So? It’s not like there aren’t 3 dozen more scumbags to take his place. Now he’s a martyr.

[snarkytart]

Well in all fairness there is probably a few Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi around.

[Mariner]

This cannot have happened.

Everyone, including John McCain, knows the Russians are not fighting terrorists in Syria/s

[TnTnTn]

He has been killed or severely injured many times-one time-maybe this one it will be true.

[Go Gordon]

If this is confirmed, it would enormously harm the entire ISIS movement. After all, look at what happened to al-Qaeda once Osama bin Laden was killed--that movement ended up being replaced by ISIS.

So are you saying there will be another group to replace ISIS?

[sagar]

"If this is confirmed, it would enormously harm the entire ISIS movement. After all, look at what happened to al-Qaeda once Osama bin Laden was killed--that movement ended up being replaced by ISIS. "

Don't worry. The Pentagon has another lined up. CIA has, too. The winner of those two will lead for the designation of the world's premiere terrorist organization. The Military Industrial Complex^tm must continue. Israel will provide the logistics and the base for their training. /s

[SeekAndFind]

I don't like the words MIGHT HAVE .

Let's make sure before we celebrate.

I've seen too many reports of Al-Baghdadi's death in the past to take reports like this seriously.

[McGruff]

Maybe there's nothing left to confirm.

[McGruff]

The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has chaired a meeting of his security council to discuss the Russian military’s claim that it had killed the Islamic State group’s leader in an airstrike in Syria.

According to Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Friday’s meeting that the strike on Raqqa had killed “over 100 militants, among which there were members of the IS leadership, presumably including (IS leader Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said the information about al-Baghdadi’s death was still “being verified through various channels.” It posted an image of the building in Raqqa that housed the IS leader’s meeting and was destroyed in the strike.

Asked about the military’s claim at a news conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “I don’t have a 100-percent confirmation of the information.”