ISIS commander still alive, badly wounded: Syria Observatory

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that Islamic State's military commander was badly wounded but still alive, appearing to contradict U.S. officials who said he was likely killed in a U.S. air strike.

The U.S. officials said on Tuesday that Abu Omar al-Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen and described by the Pentagon as the group's "minister of war", was targeted near the town of al-Shadadi in Syria.

Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said he had been badly wounded but not killed and had been moved to Islamic State's base of operations in Raqqa for treatment.

"He did not die," said Abdulrahman.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it gathers its information from all sides in the conflict. Reuters had no way to independently verify the report.