Islamic State media outlets are reporting that the son of the group's leader has been killed fighting Syrian government forces.

The announcement of the death of the young son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared on the group's social media accounts late Tuesday. It included a picture of a young boy carrying a rifle and identified him as Huthaifa al-Badri.

The statement did not specify when he was killed. It said he was an elite fighter who was killed while fighting Syrian and Russia troops at a power station in the central Homs province.

Al-Baghdadi has been reported killed or wounded on a number of occasions but is widely believed to still be alive. IS has been driven from nearly all the territory it once controlled in Syria and Iraq.