The US-led coalition jets heavily shelled in and around Mosul on Saturday afternoon, acting on intelligence suggesting that Islamic State (IS) Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was in the city, according to a Peshmerga source.
“The heavy bombardment is related to coalition information that Baghdadi is in the city,” said commander Musa Gardi.
He noted that the operation targeted areas inside Mosul where IS leaders are known to have held several meetings. If Baghdadi was meeting in one of these locations, he may have been killed, said Gardi.
The Commander told BasNews that the coalition’s bombardment on Saturday was different as the jets bombed continuously for two hours.
The effectiveness of the operation is yet to be assessed.
On Saturday, BasNews revealed that Mosul Council member Ibrahim Ta’ai said that they have confirmed reports the IS leader has moved from the Syrian city of Raqqa to the Mosul town of Ba’aja, located on the border between Mosul and Syria.
