Moscow’s claim that Russian air strikes in Syria had killed prominent Daesh leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani is false, US defense officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
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On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it killed Adnani and 40 other fighters with an airstrike carried out by an Su-34 bomber in the town of Maaratat-Umm Khaush in Aleppo province.
The group’s news outlet, Amaq, reported Al-Adnani’s death on Tuesday, without specifying who was responsible.
In Washington, the spokesman for the Pentagon, Peter Cook, said it had no information to support Moscow’s claim that Russian Federation had also targeted Adnani with an airstrike.
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said on Tuesday that the U.S. was “still assessing the results of the strike”.
He was also a founding member of the Islamic State militant group and believed to be in line for the group’s top leadership role, now held by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
In response to his death, pro-Islamic State groups mobilised on social media under a hashtag hailing al-Adnani as a martyr and Sheikh, an honorific title for prominent Islamic leaders.
The terrorist’s demise also would constitute “a significant step in reducing ISIL’s ability to conduct external attacks outside of Iraq and Syria”, the spokesman added.
A government official in Washington told VOA that the US been tracking several “high value” IS members in Aleppo province.
A USA defense official told CNN on Wednesday that the Pentagon doubts Russia’s claim – but if he is dead, the United States is responsible.
Adnani was reported to have been seriously injured eight months ago in Iraq, during fighting near the city of Haditha.
The powerful orator became the voice of IS.
The death of Adnani coincides with a string of setbacks for the militants in Iraq and Syria, where they have been rapidly losing control of some of their most significant strongholds.
Adnani was widely considered to be the militant group’s second in command and the likely successor to current leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Earlier this year, he called for attacks during Ramadan, with followers carrying out attacks including the Orlando nightclub shooting, the truck attack in the French city of Nice and a massive suicide bombing in Baghdad.
The increasingly crowded airspace over Syria also has approached the point of worldwide crisis, as evidenced last November when Turkey shot down a Russian jet for reportedly crossing into its airspace.
US, Russia claim credit as Daesh spokesman killed in Syria was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on August 31, 2016 and was last updated on August 31, 2016.
The Defense Department drone strike was conducted with help from American special operations forces working with the Central Intelligence Agency, the official said.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook later said there was nothing to indicate Russian Federation had killed Adnani.
The Pentagon had reported Tuesday night that they had “targeted” him, but were not able to immediately confirm his death.
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“We don’t have any information to support what the Russians have put forward”, he told reporters.
