The Russian Defense Ministry stated Friday that the Russian aerospace forces' strike conducted on May 28, allegedly killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi south of Raqqa. The verification is ongoing.

Axar.az reports citing Sputnik news.

The ISIS leader may have been killed alongside other leaders of the extremist group and 330 terrorists in a Russian Aerospace Forces strike late last month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

The ministry said its Su-34 strike aircraft and Su-35 multirole fighter attacked a so-called ISIS military council south of its stronghold of Raqqa in northern Syria on May 28.

"According to information that is checked through various channels, IS [ISIS] leader Ibrahim Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed as a result of the strike, was also present at the meeting," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual "Direct Line" call-in session that Russian troops would be deployed in Syria's Tartus naval facility and the Hmeymim air base in the future. According to the president, Russia also plans to take steps necessary for strengthening the combat capabilities of the Syrian Armed Forces.