ISIS terrorist group leader al-Baghdadi is still alive

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabbar Yawar, said on Tuesday that the Islamic State (IS) leader Abubakir al-Baghdadi is still alive and his extremist group remains a threat.

“It is true that IS was defeated in the Iraqi cities and towns, officially announced defeated in Mosul and [Syrian city of] Raqqa, but the extremist organisation remains a threat as it has not been completely eliminated,” Yawar told Anadolu Agency.

“Daesh may still carry out attacks in the form of small suicide groups,” the official stated, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

“We have to prepare for similar circumstances and take precautions to defend or prevent these attacks that pose a threat to all of Iraq,” he pointed out.

He also questioned the reports claiming that the IS leader al-Baghdad might have been killed, noting that the reports are not official and the IS top commander is likely to be alive.

“We do not exactly know the fate of Baghdadi, but all indications are showing that he is still alive,” Yawar stated. “According to the international coalition, about 3,000 armed IS militants are still present in both Iraq and Syria.”

Source: Basnews