Lebanon claims detained woman is IS chief's ex-wife

Beirut, Dec 4: Lebanese Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk has said that DNA samples of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been matched with one of the three children who are currently being held by Lebanese authorities and are suspected of being related to the jihadi chief.

Machnouk said Wednesday DNA samples, which were sent over by Iraqi authorities earlier this week, matched samples taken from three children who were detained along with Saja Hamid al-Dulaimi, Baghdadi's ex-wife.

Machnouk revealed that Dulaimi had married Baghdadi for three months six years ago and they had a daughter together. The IS leader's DNA matched with that of Dulaimi's daughter, Lebanon's Daily Star reported Thursday.

The DNA tests taken from Dulaimi also proved that she was the mother of

the three children - one girl and two boys, a source in the

investigation told The Daily Star.

Machnouk said the two boys and the girl were not incarcerated but were rather staying at a specialized care centre. Dulaimi was detained as she has links with jihadi groups.

She is currently married to a Palestinian, according to the minister.

However, Iraq's interior ministry said that the woman detained by Lebanese authorities was not the wife of IS leader Baghdadi, but the sister of a man convicted of bombings in southern Iraq.

"The one detained by Lebanese authorities was Saja Abdul Hamid al-Dulaimi, sister of Omar Abdul Hamid al-Dulaimi, who has been detained by authorities and sentenced to death for his participation in explosions," ministry spokesman Saad Maan said.

"The wives of the terrorist Baghdadi are Asmaa Fawzi Mohammad al-Dulaimi and Esraa Rajab Mahel al-Qaisi, and there is no wife in the name of Saja al-Dulaimi," he said.

Dulaimi was detained in north Lebanon after she was found to have a fake passport, officials said. Investigators are questioning her at the Lebanese defence ministry.

IANS