ISIS BIG ‘ALIVE’

U.S. general disputes kill report

WASHINGTON — ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears to be still alive, a top U.S. military commander said Thursday, contradicting Russia’s claims that it probably killed the top counterterror target months ago.

“Do I believe he's alive? Yes,” said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands the coalition forces fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, referring to Baghdadi.

At first, Townsend said his belief stemmed from a lack of evidence he had seen — “rumor or otherwise” — that Baghdadi (right) was dead. But, he then added: “There are also some indicators in intelligence channels that he’s alive.” Townsend did not elaborate on

Russian officials said in June there was a “high probability” that the terrorist mastermind died in a Russian air strike on the outskirts of Raqqa, Syria, a month earlier.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from his headquarters in Baghdad, Townsend said U.S. and coalition forces are actively searching for Baghdadi. If they find him, they probably will kill him rather than capture him, the intelligence. he said.

A good guess about where Baghdadi is hiding, Townsend said, would be the so-called Middle Euphrates River Valley, stretching approximately from the city of Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria to the town of Rawa in western Iraq. He said this area is shaping up to be the group’s “last stand” following its ouster from nearly all of northern Iraq.Townsend said he hopes the U.S. government works out an arrangement for a long-term military presence in Iraq to minimize the chances of another ISIS-like

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