Tehran: In what could deal a severe jolt to the extremist organisation Islamic State, Radio Iran has claimed that ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died.
According to a tweet by the All India Radio (AIR), Baghdadi's death claim has been made by Radio Iran.
Leader of the #ISIS terrorist group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died: Radio Iran
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) April 27, 2015
It can be noted that a Guardian report last week claimed that Baghdadi had received serious 'life-threatening' injuries during a US-led airstrike in March and that the strike had left him seriously wounded.
The report added that Baghdadi was no more in control of daily operations of ISIS as he had not been able to recover.
However, there were similar reports of Baghdadi being "seriously injured" in US-led air strikes last year, but they were not confirmed.
The Pentagon had refuted the latest report of Baghdadi being injured, saying there was no evidence to prove that the ISIS chief had suffered injuries when the US-led coalition planes bombarded the al-Baaj a district of Nineveh, near Syrian border on March 18.
The ISIS overran a huge swathe of Iraq and Syria in June last year and established the so-called “Islamic State” across occupied areas and anointed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its caliph.
Declaring the Caliphate, Baghdadi who rarely makes public appearances, appeared at a mosque in July, demanding all Muslims to pledge allegiance to him.
The US has imposed a bounty worth $10 million on the al-Baghdadi's head.
Despite a spate of coalition strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria since August last year, the extremists continue to advance and unleash bloodshed and terror.
