'Daesh terrorists deserted by Al-Baghdadi'

A senior commander of Iraq's counter-terrorism service said that Daesh ringleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has fled to an unknown place and deserted the terrorist group.

Ma'an al-Sa'di told al-Arabiya news channel that the Daesh has been badly annihilated in Iraq and its self-proclaimed capital, Mosul, is collapsing as now only a few number of districts in Mosul have remained to be liberated.

"The Daesh is now thinking of escaping from Iraq and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has left the members of the terrorist group on their own and fled to an unknown place," he added.

The countdown has started for accomplishing the recapture of the Western part of the strategic city of Mosul from the Daesh as Iraq's joint military forces have laid full siege on the terrorists in the few districts that are still under the group's control.

A map released by the Iraqi military media on Thursday suggested that government troops are controlling over 90 percent of Western Mosul.

EA