Russia is taking credit for the reported death of Abu Mohammed al-Adnani Tuesday in Syria, saying the Islamic State spokesman and senior leader was among a group of militants killed in a strike near Aleppo by a Russian Su-34 bomber.
The Pentagon said Tuesday the U.S.-led coalition conducted a precision strike near al Bab, which is northeast of Aleppo, specifically targeting al-Adnani, but did not confirm his death.
A news agency affiliated with the Islamic State posted a statement Tuesday saying al-Adnani was conducting surveying operations around Aleppo when he was “martyred.”
A post on the Russian Defense Ministry’s Facebook page said one of its Su-34 planes carried out a strike against a large concentration of Islamic State militants Maaratat-Um-Haush in Aleppo province and killed up to 40 people.
“Among those terrorists, according to the information confirmed through several intelligence channels, there was the military leader Abu Mohammad al-Adnani known as the Spokesperson of the international terrorist organization the ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.'”
While the Pentagon did not claim to have killed Adnani, it issued a statement implying its strike was likely responsible for his reported demise.
“We are still assessing the results of the strike, but al-Adnani’s removal from the battlefield would mark another significant blow to ISIL,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook.
