http://finance.yahoo.com/news/iraqis-claim-hit-chief-baghdadis-convoy-air-raid-001418414.htmlAFP By Ammar Karim with Sara Hussein in Beirut
3 hours ago
In Syria, meanwhile, regime troops backed by Russian air strikes made progress on two fronts but were battling other rebel groups.
And Syria's opposition National Coalition said it will boycott UN-proposed peace talks, citing the Russian air strikes among a list of grievances.
Iraqi aircraft hit Baghdadi's convoy as it was "moving towards Karabla to attend a meeting of the Daesh (IS) terrorist leaders," an Iraqi security statement said.
Karabla is on the Euphrates barely five kilometres (three miles) from the Syrian border in western Anbar, a vast Iraqi province which has long been a Sunni insurgent stronghold.
The statement issued by Iraq's "war media cell" said Baghdadi was "transported in a vehicle" after the strike but added that "his health status was unknown".
The meeting place was also struck in the operation and several IS leaders already gathered there were killed or wounded, it said.
Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan told AFP that "the strike was yesterday (Saturday) at noon".
In Washington, a US military official said: "We've seen the Iraqi statement about al-Baghdadi but have no info that confirms it."
Baghdadi's death would give the war against the most violent jihadist organisation in modern history a much-needed boost, but such claims have been made in the past.
- Previous claims -
Baghdadi's apparent survival following similar claims, including one in November 2014 of a strike in the same area, has only added to his mystique.
The Iraqi jihadist chief is said to have been born in Samarra in 1971, but little is known about the man with a $10 million US bounty on his head.
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