ISIS leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani
© AFP IS spokesman and head of external operations Abu Muhammad al-Adnani
The killing of a top figure in the terrorist group Islamic State, Abu Muhammed al-Adnani, was the result of an airstrike conducted by a Russian Su-34 bomber, Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The death of al-Adnani in a bombing in the Syrian province of Aleppo was earlier confirmed by the terrorist organization itself. In an airstrike conducted on Tuesday, the Su-34 targeted a group of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters numbering about 40 people, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Al-Adnani's death was confirmed by several intelligence channels.

The militant was described as the second most senior IS leader after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The group's news outlet, Amaq, reported Al-Adnani's death on Tuesday, without specifying who was responsible. An American defense official told Reuters that the US also targeted al-Adnani in a strike on Tuesday, but would not immediately confirm his death. Al-Adnani had a $5 million US Department of State bounty on his head. Known for his aggressive, florid speaking style, al-Adnani sought to inspire recruits and lone wolf attackers in the West, and his calls to arms were often cited by ISIS adepts. Western media also reported that he was the head of a special intelligence unit, responsible for planning complex terrorist attacks in Europe.