Russia’s Defense Ministry has said it is verifying reports that the Islamic State terrorist group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by a Russian airstrike on the southern outskirts of Syria’s Raqqa in late May, TASS reports.

The airstrike was carried out overnight to May 28 against a command post, where the ISIS group’s leaders were meeting to discuss the routes for the terrorists’ exit from Raqqa through the so-called southern corridor, the ministry said in a statement.

"According to information, which is being verified via different channels, the meeting was also attended by the ISIS leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was eliminated in the strike," the ministry said.