No proof of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death, says US secretary of defense
On July 11, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said it had confirmed information that the terror outfit’s chief commander had been killed.
United States Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Friday said he cannot confirm reports of Islamic State group’s chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death, AFP reported. On July 11, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said it had confirmed information that al-Baghdadi had been killed.
“If we knew, we would tell you – right now, I can’t confirm or deny it,” Mattis said. “Our approach is we assume he’s alive until it’s proven otherwise, and right now, I can’t prove it otherwise.”
On June 16, Russia’s Defence Ministry had said it was investigating whether one of its air strikes in Syria in May had killed al-Baghdadi. There were disputed reports on the matter – The New York Times had said that the Russian Defence Ministry had claimed al-Baghdadi had been killed, but other agencies said the matter was still being investigated.
The last public footage of al-Baghdadi was released in 2014.
