ISIS says leader's son died in Syria

Hudhayfah Al Badri was allegedly killed in an operation against the Assad forces in Homs

Smoke rises after an air strike during fighting between members of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria, August 15, 2017. Zohra Bensemra: "Access to the frontline of the battle for Raqqa in Syria was more limited than during the battle for Mosul in Iraq. RaqqaÕs battle was different also from MosulÕs because we saw very few civilians who managed to escape. We didnÕt have daily access. We were often posted in buildings used as a command base or observation point. From there we could photograph troop movements and smoke after air strikes. On this day, we were refused permission to go to the frontline. They said it was too dangerous and there was no armoured car. Even so, we decided to wait with the hope of advancing towards the combat zone. We were sitting with SDF members when we learned from one of the officers that there was going to be an air strike. To our surprise, the target building was close-by." REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo  SEARCH "POY IS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2017 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Powered by automated translation

ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi's son, Hudhayfah Al Badri, was killed during an attack in the central Syrian province of Homs, ISIS propaganda agency Amaq said on Tuesday.

Al Badri was killed in an "operation against the Nussayriyyah and the Russians at the thermal power station in Homs", the extremist group said.

ISIS uses the term Nussayriyyah for the Alawite religious minority sect of President Bashar Al Assad.

In 2014, the group announced a "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq, seizing a third of Iraq during a sweeping offensive. Since then, ISIS has lost ground to separate counter-offensives by Syrian and Iraqi forces as well as US-led operations. The extremists are estimated to control no more than 3 per cent of Syria's territory.

Last December, the Iraqi government declared victory over ISIS but the military has continued regular operations targeting mostly desert areas along the porous Syrian border.

_____________

Read more

Suspect in Saudi soldier killing admits to ISIS affiliation

In post-ISIS Iraq, tribal justice grows in shadow of Baghdad mistrust 

Paris attacker pledged loyalty to ISIS

_____________

Al Baghdadi, who has been pronounced dead on several occasions, remains alive in Syrian territory by the Iraqi border, an Iraqi intelligence official said in May. He was said to move around with only a small group of followers

Al Baghdadi, from Iraq, has been dubbed the "most wanted man on the planet" and the US is offering a $25 million (Dh91.8m) reward for his capture.

The Iraqi official said the noose was closing around the extremist leader after Iraqi forces captured five top ISIS commanders in an unprecedented raid in Syria on March 24.

Last September, in the last voice message attributed to Al Baghdadi, the ISIS leader called on his fighters in Syria and Iraq to "resist" their enemies.