{UAH} ISIS leader al-Baghdadi is still ALIVE, says Iraqi counter-terrorism official, who warns the group is set to turn itself into 'Al-Qaeda on steroids'
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ISIS leader al-Baghdadi is still ALIVE, says Iraqi counter-terrorism official, who warns the group is set to turn itself into 'Al-Qaeda on steroids'
- Kurdish counter-terror expert said he is hiding out in ISIS 'capital' of Raqqa, Syria
- Last week, ISIS is reported to have said their leader was killed in airstrike in Iraq
- Iraqi security forces recently ended three years of ISIS rule in Iraqi city of Mosul
- They are putting pressure on terror group in one of its last strongholds, Raqqa
A top Kurdish counter-terrorism official has claimed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is alive and hiding in Syria.
Lahur Talabany said he was 99 per cent sure that al-Baghdadi, who was reported to have been killed in an airstrike in Iraq, is still in the group's de-facto capital of Raqqa, Syria.
He said: 'Don't forget his roots go back to al-Qaeda days in Iraq. He was hiding from security services. He knows what he is doing.'
Talbany also warned that despite recent setbacks and loss of territory, ISIS is preparing for a 'different fight' and will soon be an 'Al-Qaeda on steroids'.
He added: 'They are getting ready for a different fight I think. We have a lot tougher days ahead of us than people think. 'Al Qaeda on steroids.
'We saw why they were smarter. Al Qaeda never controlled any territory. They will be smarter.'
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A top Kurdish counter-terrorism official has claimed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured in 2014) is alive and hiding in Syria
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Iraqi security forces recently ended three years of ISIS rule in the Iraqi city of Mosul and the terror group is under growing pressure in Raqqa - both strongholds in the militants' crumbling self-proclaimed caliphate.
Last week, ISIS admitted al-Baghdadi has been killed dead, according to reports in Iraq.
The terror group is said to have confirmed that the 45-year-old was killed in an air strike in the Iraqi province of Nineveh.
Constant speculation over his life has raised questions about who might replace him as head of the terror group.
Talabany said it was hard to know which of top Baghdadi aides were alive or dead, but he believes most of the leadership is in Syria, south of Raqqa.
Lahur Talabany said he was 99 per cent sure that al-Baghdadi, who was reported to have been killed in an airstrike in Iraq. Pictured: An airstrike on Mosul, Iraq, last week
Iraqi security forces recently ended three years of ISIS rule in the Iraqi city of Mosul and the terror group is under growing pressure in Raqqa, where al-Baghdadi is reported to be hiding
He believes a younger generation of Saddam's former allies were expected to take key positions, adding: 'These are the people in line. The younger generation is always more dangerous.'
Security services face the daunting challenge of breaking up sleeper cells, typically made up of two facilitators and two operators.
'You don't need a lot of guys to set a bomb off. We continue to bust these sleeper cells,' said Talabany.
'Everybody we capture was getting ready to set up to carry out attacks in the region.'
Reports claim ISIS fanatics are scrambling to find a successor to the terror chief, who announced the formation of the group's so-called caliphate in Mosul in 2014.
A ban on jihadis talking about the leader's death has now been lifted, according to a source who spoke to Iraqi media.
Lat week, ISIS allegedly admitted al-Baghdadi has been killed dead, according to reports in Iraq. Pictured: Iraqi soldiers celebrate the liberation of Mosul
Last week, reports claimed ISIS fanatics were scrambling to find a successor to the terror chief. Pictured: Iraqis celebrating ISIS's defeat in Mosul last week
If confirmed, his death would mark another devastating blow to the jihadist group after its loss of Mosul, which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Monday had been retaken from ISIS after a gruelling months-long campaign.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said today that it also had information from top ISIS group leaders confirming the death.
'Top tier commanders from IS who are present in Deir Ezzor province have confirmed the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, emir of the Islamic State group, to the Observatory,' said its director Rami Abdel Rahman.
'We learned of it today but we do not know when he died or how.'
The Pentagon said today that it had no information to corroborate the claims.
'We take any report of this nature with a large dose of salt,' Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, told Fox News.
The Pentagon said today that it had no information to corroborate the claims that al-Baghdadi had been killed last week. Pictured: War-ravaged Mosul in May
'We will verify it. We will look at the intelligence available ... and we will give a statement when we have the requisite facts.'
Coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon added: 'We cannot confirm this report, but hope it is true.
'We strongly advise ISIS to implement a strong line of succession, it will be needed,' he added.
There was no official confirmation or denial of the news on social media platforms used by ISIS.
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