According to a report in October 2014, al-Baghdadi allegedly suffered serious injuries and fled ISIL's capital city Ar-Raqqah, due to the intense bombing campaign launched by coalition forces, and sought refuge in the Iraqi city of Mosul, the largest city under ISIL control.
On 5 November 2014, al-Baghdadi sent a message to al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, calling him to sever his allegiance to Taliban commander Mullah Mohammed Omar. Al-Bagdahdi allegedly called the Taliban leader “an ignorant, illiterate warlord, unworthy of spiritual or political respect”.
On 8 November 2014, there were unconfirmed reports of al-Baghdadi's death after a US air strike in Mosul. But later it was confirmed that he is still alive, though wounded.
