Russia’s military claimed Friday that it believes it killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph of the Islamic State terror group, in an airstrike in the Syrian desert last month. If confirmed, it would be a major military victory for Moscow. The Kremlin’s defense ministry said in a statement to Russian news agencies that its planes struck a May 28 meeting of ISIS leaders outside the de facto capital Raqqa that would have likely killed Baghdadi. Still, his death is not confirmed and ISIS-watchers and leaders around the world remain skeptical of the proclamation. “According to information which we are checking through various channels, the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was at the meeting and the strike destroyed him,” the statement said.
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