Tillerson, who has never held political office, faced intense scrutiny over his ties to Russia. (Photo: AP)

Washington: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will inevitably be killed as coalition and local forces continue to pile pressure on the jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

"Nearly all of Abu Bakr Baghdadi's deputies are now dead, including the mastermind behind the attacks in Brussels, Paris and elsewhere," Tillerson said at the start of a Washington summit for coalition members.

"It is only a matter of time before Baghdadi himself meets this same fate."

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