Is Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Alive? ISIS Leader's Health, US Airstrike Subject Of Conflicting Reports

aaadjsngkadfb — A man purported to be the reclusive leader of the militant Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi making what would have been his first public appearance, at a mosque in the centre of Iraq's second city, Mosul, according to a video recording posted on the Internet on July 5, 2014, in this still image taken from video. Reuters TV/File Photo

Despite reports to contrary, the leader of the so-called Islamic State group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not been injured in an air strike, reported Fox News Monday.

"Pentagon officials say reports of ISIS emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being wounded in airstrike are false," posted Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson to Twitter.

Pentagon officials say reports of ISIS emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being wounded in airstrike are false.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) January 23, 2017

The report from Tomlinson followed unconfirmed reports that al-Baghdadi had been critically injured in a air strike from a U.S.-led coalition. The claims, many of which were published in British tabloids citing local reports, suggested that the leader of the terrorist group had been injured in a strike in Al-Ba'aj in northern Iraq.

A Department of Defense official told International Business Times Monday in a phone interview that they "were aware of the reports." Spokesman Eric Pahon told IBT that "at this time we have no validation," of the reports that al-Baghdadi had been injured in a strike. Pahon declined to confirm whether or not the strike took place, saying "we don't have any further information on that."

Al-Baghdadi has been a regular subject of death rumors. The State Department has offered a $25 million reward for the leader of the group also known as ISIL. After not being spotted for months, a U.S. official told CNN in late December that "in the last few weeks we've been aware of some of Baghdadi's movements." The same report also stated that previous rumors of al-Baghdadi's death or injury were untrue. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook later told CNN's Jim Sciutto on TV on Dec. 30 that they believed al-Baghdadi still led ISIS.

"What I can tell you is we do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," he said. "And if we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves. But I won't get into it beyond that. We're doing everything we can. This is something we're sending a lot of time on."