DHAKA: The US military has denied claims by Iraq's government that a coalition air strike hit a mosque where the deputy commander of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group had been meeting other fighters in the north of the country.

Iraq’s defence ministry said an air strike by the US-led coalition had killed Abu Alaa al-Afari and others who were in a meeting inside a mosque in the city of Tal Afar, reports the Aljazeera.

While the coalition confirmed it had conducted an air strike there in the last 24 hours, US officials said they had no information to corroborate claims Afari had been killed.

Meanwhile in Syria, ISIL has seized more territory in the central province of Homs amid intense clashes with government forces, Syrian activists say.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday’s fighting killed at least 28 government troops and about 20 fighters from the ISIL. It said hundreds more were wounded.

ISIL has a presence in the eastern countryside of Homs and has been pushing west.

Twitter accounts affiliated with ISIL say its fighters reported advances northwest of the city of Palmyra.

BDST: 1309 HRS, MAY 14, 2015
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