IS leader 'bedridden' after airstrike in Syria
The supreme leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is believed to have been bedridden and unable to continue running the organization after an airstrike by Iraqi forces in Syria last June, AlSumaria news network reported on August 13.
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Supreme leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Photo: Reuters) |
The airstrike left Baghdadi severely injured, bedridden and unable to continue running the IS terrorist organization. The airstrike also injured or killed many of IS's subordinate leaders.
As a result, IS leaders unanimously chose Abu Othman al-Tunisi to succeed Baghdadi. However, al-Tunisi's appointment caused internal tension within IS.
Baghdadi was the leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. In October 2011, the US officially listed al-Baghdadi as a terrorist. The US military offered a reward of 25 million USD for information leading to his capture or death.
There have been numerous reports since then that Baghdadi has been killed, but none of these have been verified. Baghdadi has not been heard from since September 2017, when he called on his followers to launch attacks on the West and continued to hold out in Syria and Iraq.
