IS chief wounded in air strike

New Delhi: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), is no longer in operational control of the organisation after being wounded in an airstrike, it was reported on Monday.Baghdadi, who is the self-described 'caliph' or spiritual leader of Isil, was seriously hurt in a strike in a village in western Iraq on March 18, according to reports.

The reports said that his wounds were at first thought to be so serious that he might die, and that while he had since staged a gradual recovery, he was not at present involved in the direct day-to-day control of the terror group. When they first heard of his wounds, Isil deputies convened meetings to discuss who might take over as leader.The reports cited three separate sources, including a source with connections to Isil, a Western diplomat, and Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi official. He said: “Yes, he was wounded in al-Baaj near the village of Umm al-Rous on 18 March with a group that was with him.”