The supreme leader of IS fled Mosul and is hiding in the desert.
US and Iraqi officials believe that the supreme leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has secretly left the city of Mosul.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in his only public appearance on July 3, 2014.
US and Iraqi intelligence sources believe that the recent lack of official statements from IS supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as well as the organization's loss of significant territory in Mosul, indicates that he has abandoned the insurgents' largest stronghold in Iraq, Reuters reported on March 8.
The source also indicated that al-Baghdadi did not have many followers and was hiding in the desert, primarily focused on self-preservation. Through tracking efforts, US intelligence believed that al-Baghdadi was being sheltered by local communities near Mosul.
US and Iraqi officials acknowledge that locating al-Baghdadi is extremely difficult because he rarely uses means of communication that can be monitored and moves constantly on a 24-hour cycle.
In late December 2016, the commander of the Iraqi special forces, General Fadil Barwari, declared that Baghdadi was trapped in Mosul.
Kurdish officials believe that the increasing pressure from the military coalition's offensive in Mosul is forcing Baghdadi and other IS leaders to constantly move to seek refuge.
According to VNE
