Iraq News

ISIS chief reported dead after the group loses Mosul

"Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported dead on Tuesday (July 11th), a day after Iraq declared it had driven the jihadists from their one-time biggest stronghold of Mosul, AFP reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a longtime monitor of the country's conflict, said it had information from top ISIS leaders confirming al-Baghdadi's death.

The report could not be independently verified and al-Baghdadi has been reported dead several times.

But if confirmed, his death would mark another devastating blow to the extremist group after its loss of Mosul, which Iraqi PM Haider al-Abbadi said on Monday had been retaken from ISIS after a gruelling months-long campaign.

"Top tier commanders from ISIS who are present in Deir Ezzor province have confirmed the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, emir of ISIS, to the Observatory," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"We learned of it today but we do not know when he died or how," he said.

Abdel Rahman said al-Baghdadi "was present in eastern parts of Deir Ezzor province" in recent months, but it was unclear if he died in the area or elsewhere.

The international coalition fighting the group in Syria and Iraq said it could not verify the Observatory's information.

"We cannot confirm this report, but hope it is true," said coalition spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon.

There was no official confirmation or denial of the news on social media platforms used by ISIS.

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