In a sudden turn of events, the reports have emerged claiming that the sister of former Islamic State group (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been captured in northern Syria, on Monday, according to a senior Turkish official, who called the arrest an intelligence “gold mine.”
Little is known about the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As quoted in the reports, the Turkish official said the 65-year-old known as Rasmiya Awad is suspected of being affiliated with the extremist group. The official said the sister was with her husband, daughter-in-law and five children. The adults are being interrogated.
Baghdadi killed himself during a raid by US special forces on his compound in north-west Syria last month. Many IS members have escaped through smuggling routes to northwestern Syria in the final days of battle ahead of the group’s territorial defeat earlier this year, while others have melted into the desert in Syria or Iraq.
Baghdadi’s death was hailed as a victory for US President Donald Trump, but critics argue that IS remains a security threat in Syria and elsewhere.
