ISIL chief 'badly wounded' by US air strike

The self-proclaimed "caliph" of ISIL's territories in Iraq and Syria has reportedly been critically injured in a US air strike.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was wounded after a missile struck a gathering of ISIL leaders in the town of al-Qaim, according to reports.

Claims swirled that the hardline al-Baghdadi had been killed in the attacks, but US officials could not confirm if he had been present.

The news comes 24 hours after US President Barack Obama unveiled plans to send up to 1500 more US troops to Iraq to help battle the militants who have seized a large swathe of territory.

US Central Command confirmed that coalition aircraft conducted a "series of airstrikes" against "a gathering of ISIL leaders near Mosul".

A convoy of 10 armoured vehicles from the group was also was destroyed.

"We cannot confirm if ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was among those present," CENTCOM spokesman Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

A strike against Baghdadi, who has proclaimed himself the "caliph" of a state straddling Iraq and Syria, would be a major coup for the US-led coalition.

Washington has offered a $10 million reward for his capture, and some analysts say he is increasingly seen as more powerful than Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

In a video posted online in July, purportedly the first known footage of Baghdadi, he ordered all Muslims to obey him during a Ramadan sermon in Mosul.

Al-Arabiya TV reported Baghdadi had been wounded, while a local Iraqi channel said one of his aides was killed.

Additional reporting by AFP.