Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has fled Mosul and is hiding in the desert

U.S. and Iraqi officials believe that the self-proclaimed caliph of the group known as the 'Islamic State' has abandoned his fighters in the battle for Mosul and is hiding somewhere in the desert. The Iraqi army, government-aligned militias, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, with the support of a U.S.-led coalition, began operations to retake Mosul from the Islamic State in October. It was in a grand mosque in this city that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate during the rapid advances of ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The Mosul operation has now moved to the western areas of the city, which are the last regions under ISIS control and also the most densely populated parts of the city. U.S. and Iraqi officials have told news agencies that Baghdadi 'has fled to the desert and is currently trying to save his life.' These statements have not been independently verified by news agencies. In the past, reports have also emerged regarding Baghdadi being injured or attacked at his location. Officials have stated that the lack of internal communications and the absence of group posts on social media platforms like Telegram, Twitter, and other places where they have been active have raised the possibility that Baghdadi has left Mosul, which remains the most populous city captured by ISIS. For instance, there is no evidence of 'explanations' or the usual writings and posts from ISIS during the capture of the eastern part of Mosul by Iraqi government forces. Baghdadi himself has not released any messages or speeches in the past four months. In fact, two weeks after the start of the Mosul liberation operation, his statements and messages have also ceased. The Iraqi army and its supporters have made significant advances in recent operations in western Mosul and have taken control of major administrative and financial centers of the city. If Iraqi forces succeed in clearing the old city center of Mosul, they will effectively be able to re-establish the central government's administrative authority over Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi rarely makes traceable radio communications and usually changes his location suddenly. His real name is Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri, born in 1971 (46 years old), likely near Samarra in Iraq. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he began his armed activities by helping to form the 'Sunni Youth' group. He joined the 'Council of Mujahideen,' a group that later changed its name to 'Islamic State of Iraq' and in 2013 to 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,' with Baghdadi being elected as its 'caliph.' In 2011, the U.S. State Department set a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. This reward was increased to $25 million in 2016, equivalent to the reward for finding Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda. In this context, the Iraqi army has 'taken control' of the provincial government and central bank in Mosul. The entry of Iraqi forces into eastern Mosul has begun street fighting with ISIS militants. The U.S. and Iraq have not confirmed the injury of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The last road in western Mosul has been captured, and ISIS militants are besieged.