Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami, a senior leader and the official spokesperson of the Islamic State (IS), was killed in a recent airstrike in Syria's Aleppo province, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Based on multiple intelligence channels, al-Adnani was killed during an airstrike by a Russian Su-34 warplane on Tuesday, in which up to 40 terrorists were also eliminated, the ministry said in a statement.

"Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was considered the number two leader in the IS after its head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and was renowned for his calls for terrorist attacks in Western Europe and the United States," the statement added.

Source : XINHUA