Report: Leader of Islamic State 'Seriously Wounded' in Recent Airstrike

Sources have reportedly claimed that the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been "seriously wounded" in a recent airstrike in Iraq.

The U.S.-led coalition airstrike reportedly targeted al-Baghdadi in the western Iraqi city of Nineveh, near the Syrian border, in mid-March. Baghdadi reportedly sustained serious wounds and is just now getting back to leading the terrorist group, although he is reportedly still not completely back to his leading role.

The report of al-Baghdadi's alleged recent injury came from The Guardian, which cited two sources, an Iraqi official and a western diplomat, as verifying the terrorist leader's injuries.

"Yes, he was wounded in al-Baaj near the village of Umm al-Rous on 18 March with a group that was with him," Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi official specializing in the Islamic State, told The Guardian in a recent interview.

According to BBC News, the Pentagon has said it has no news of Baghdadi's recent injury. Previous reports from 2014 of Baghdadi's alleged injuries proved to be inaccurate.

The Guardian also reported that al-Baghdadi's wounds were so severe following the March attack, that other Islamic State leaders reportedly planned on a replacement, should he die from his injuries.

Reports of al-Baghdadi's injuries come as the Libyan arm of the Islamic State recently released a gruesome video showing the beheading of dozens of Ethiopian Christians on the shores of the Mediterranean.

U.S. intelligence has reported that although the recent video appears to be crudely shot, it shows a deeper knowledge for cinematic production and may have required multiple takes to execute properly.