IS leader Baghdadi may have been killed by Russia (Lead)

Moscow June 16 (IANS) Russia s Defence Ministry said on Friday that it is verifying reports that one of its airstrikes killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on the southern outskirts of Syria s Raqqa.

The airstrike was carried out on May 28 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.

According to information which is being verified via different channels the meeting was also attended by the (IS) leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was eliminated in the strike Tass quoted the ministry as saying.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commenting on the reports said Russia doesn t have 100 per cent proof of Baghdadi s elimination.

Of course I have heard about these reports. So far I have no 100 per cent confirmation of this information yet Lavrov said during a news conference in Moscow.

The ministry s statement said the Russian airstrike may also have killed 330 terrorists state-run Sputnik reported.

Russian Su-34 aircraft and an Su-35 multirole fighter launched the airstrikes following drone footage confirmation of the council s meeting location the statement said.

The US military was informed by Russia before the attack the report said. However Col. Ryan Dillon a spokesman for the US-led coalition s operation against IS in Syria and Iraq said he cannot confirm these reports at this time.

Baghdadi was wrongly reported dead by the media on several previous occasions. He was a prisoner at Camp Bucca -- a US detention centre hosting several Al Qaeda commanders -- before proclaiming himself caliph of the IS in June 2014.

--IANS
soni/vt