MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is choosing a successor among his supporters who would replace him in the event of his death, local media reported.
"Information Center of the Daesh announced al-Baghdadi’s order to appoint one of the commanders as his deputy, meaning that he will become [Baghdadi’] successor in case of his death," a source in the Nineveh province told the Alsumaria television channel.
The source noted that the militant group would not disclose the name of the future deputy since it would lead to disruption among the members of the group.
On Monday, the Iraqi armed forces press service said that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi fled Mosul amid the Iraqi troops' military operation to retake the northern Iraqi city.
The Daesh extremist group, which has been in control of Mosul since 2014, is outlawed in many countries including the United States and Russia.
