Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in air strike, claims Russia

The Russian military on Friday claimed it has killed the leader of the Islamic State group in an air strike.

The ministry said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed on May 28 along with other senior group commanders. The air raid targeted an IS meeting held on the southern outskirts of Raqqa in Syria.

The raid may have also killed about 30 mid-level militant leaders and about 300 other fighters.

The ministry said the strike came as IS leaders gathered to discuss the group’s withdrawal from Raqqa, its de facto capital.