The Wall Street Journal - Russia Says ISIS Leader May Have Been Killed in Airstrike, but U.S. Can't Confirm
the media pirate
June 16, 2017. Nathan Hodge, Julian E. Barnes.
Warplanes struck a meeting of high-ranking Islamic State commanders in Syria in May, Moscow says.
The Russian military said Friday it may have killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a late May airstrike, a claim that a senior U.S. official couldn’t immediately confirm.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Su-35 and Su-34 warplanes struck a meeting of high-ranking Islamic State commanders near the Syrian city of Raqqa on May 28.
“According to the information that is now being checked through various channels, Islamic State leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was present at the meeting, and was destroyed as a result of the strike,” the statement read.
A senior U.S. official said Russia has incentives to play up their Syria strikes and make sweeping claims of success, even if the evidence isn’t clear. The official couldn’t confirm whether the May strike hit Baghdadi, who has been reported killed several times in the past.
The U.S. and Russia have backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Moscow supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the U.S. backing antigovernment rebels. But both Moscow and Washington target Islamic State.
Russia has been stepping up its attacks against Islamic State in Syria, although they don’t account for the majority of Russian strikes, according to U.S. officials. The strategy is designed, said the senior official, to win diplomatic leverage internationally and make the case that Moscow is doing more than just propping up Mr. Assad.
The claim of a major blow against Islamic State’s leadership may also be intended for a domestic audience: Russia faces a growing terror threat from Islamic State affiliates in the Caucasus region and former Soviet republics, an issue of growing concern to the Russian government. Ahead of elections next year, Mr. Putin is trying to shore up his image as a strong leader who can protect Russia, and ramped up strikes against Islamic State to help him make his case, the senior U.S. official said.
The Russian military said the U.S. side was notified in advance about the time and location of the airstrike.
Read more paid articles free: https://t.me/media_pirate