The Islamic State terrorist group (IS) has confirmed the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, media reported Tuesday, citing an IS statement.


According to the Al Sumaria News broadcaster, Al-Baghdadi is dead and his successor will be named soon.

On June 16, the Russian Defence Ministry said Al-Baghdadi was likely eliminated as a result of a Russian Aerospace Forces strike on a militant command post in the southern suburb of the city of Raqqa in late May.

The ministry noted that it was in the process of confirming the information through various channels.

Al-Baghdadi appeared in the media for the first time in 2014 when he declared the creation of a caliphate in the Middle East.

Since then, the media outlets have reported several times about the death of the IS leader, though the information has never been confirmed.