Russian military cannot confirm yet that Islamic State (IS, terrorist organization banned in Russia) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed as was announced earlier by the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Rossiya-24 TV channel.

Axar.az reports citing TASS.

"The defense ministry has already commented on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. We want to get more information. It was announced in a very solemn and triumphant manner, but our military are still looking into more information. They cannot yet confirm many of the things that the US said. So, I will leave this situation be," Lavrov said.

"However, elimination of terrorists, if it did take place after all (since Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported dead many times), is probably a positive step, considering his instrumental role in forming the Islamic State and trying to establish a caliphate," he added.

The Russian foreign minister reminded that IS emerged "after an illegal intervention [by the US and its allies] in Iraq, after the Iraqi state was destroyed and extremists from prisons were released." "That's why to a certain extent, Americans eliminated someone for whose emergence they themselves were responsible, if this really did take place," Lavrov said.