Lebanese Military Detains Wife, Son of Islamic State Leader: Reports

The Lebanese military has reportedly detained a wife and a son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of a radical Sunni group, the Islamic State, which controls large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria.

MOSCOW, December 2 (Sputnik) — The Lebanese military has reportedly detained a wife and one of the sons of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, Reuters reports, citing Beirut security officials.

The detainees, whose names or nationality have not been provided, were arrested as they entered Lebanon from Syria. The woman is believed to be one of al-Baghdadi’s wives. She was reportedly traveling on a fake passport.

Al-Baghdadi’s wife was arrested by Lebanese authorities, who were acting on foreign intelligence. The arrest was reported to have occurred "in recent days".

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the radical Sunni group, which controls large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, was allegedly critically wounded in a US-led airstrike on November 8. The extent of his injuries was not disclosed. Al-Baghdadi is assumed to be in his early 40s.

The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks into northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories over which it had control. A US-led international coalition is currently conducting airstrikes against IS targets both on Iraqi and Syrian territory.