US 'Doubles Efforts' in Search of Al-Baghdadi Following Destruction of Al-Nuri Mosque

[TomSea]

US 'Doubles Efforts' in Search of Al-Baghdadi Following Destruction of Al-Nuri Mosque
Published June 29th, 2017 - 21:16 GMT via SyndiGate.info

 Washington

The US military has reportedly "doubled efforts" in the search for the leader of the Islamic State group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the extremists were pushed out an iconic mosque in Mosul.

An Iraqi general told The New Arab on Friday said that at least 40 drones are surveying the desert region between Iraq and Syria for signs of Baghdadi and other top IS leaders.

Baghdadi's fate and whereabouts remain unknown since he appeared at Friday prayers at the Grand al-Nuri mosque in 2014, soon after IS seized Iraq's second city and called on all Muslims to obey him.

"Some of the drones are equipped with radar homing missiles, indicating that capturing Baghdadi is not important and that the main objective is getting rid of him by any means possible," the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

"Tracking Baghdadi has purely been a US mission because of its capabilities and intelligence on his movements in comparison to Iraqis."

Continued: https://www.albawaba.com/news/us-double-efforts-search-al-baghdadi-following-destruction-al-nuri-mosque-991258