Islamic State gunmen say its leader is dead — media

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Militants of the Islamic State (IS, terror group, outlawed in Russia) have said the organization's leader Abu Bakr al-Bahgdadi is dead, TASS reports with reference to the Al Sumaria TV channel.

According to the source, IS gunmen issued a brief statement announcing that their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead and the name of the "new caliph."

Some Iranian media outlets earlier circulated images confirming al-Baghdadi's death. The Russian Defense Ministry reported in the middle of June that, according to preliminary information, the IS leader and 300 gunmen had been killed by a Russian airstrike in Syria in late May.

Photo: © Militant photo via AP, File