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Was Abu Bakr al Baghdadi still inside the Baghouz pocket till early January? A piece in the Guardian says so and quotes local sources and Kurdish commanders. Baghdadi allegedly spent six months there and then fled to the desert. Let’s give a look at the pieces we have
I routinely ask people in places which once were under the control of Islamic State if they were aware of the presence or any movement of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and they invariably answer: never. Why did he expose himself in that narrow strip of land under constant surveillance? 
Baghdadi allegedly spent six months inside the shrinking Hajin pocket, which basically is a trap, and then left Baghouz in early January – when the place was already surrounded by hostile militias backed by Western special forces. If he made it, quite a difficult operation
The witness also alleges Abu Bakr al Baghdadi routinely used an old red Opel car inside the pocket – a narrow corridor with a few roads which is a shooting gallery for US planes.
Abu Ali al Basri, director of Iraq’s intelligence office, told Fox News that Baghdadi met Jamal al Mashhadani (aka Abu Hamza al Kurdi) in Dashisha which is out of the pocket in November, 10 days before the capture of al Kurdi. If true, Baghdadi didn't spend "six months inside"
Also, the foreign fighters attempting a coup against Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in al Khashma – which is a handful of houses (pic) – did not give his position. They fought for two days, they lost and were executed. Baghdadi is just a text message to the Kurds away from an airstrike.
On the other hand, according to the confession of Ismail al Hissawi, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi held a meeting in summer 2018 near Hajin – at that time the spot was already dangerous because of airstrikes and SOF land raids. Sometimes Baghdadi really is where everybody thinks he is.
And for sure whoever was the commander of the Islamic State trapped inside the pocket in recent months we can say he was (or is?) quite charismatic, because the fighters put up a strong resistance, launched many counterattacks and produced a stream of videos
