© AFP
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria, in a major blow to the jihadist group.
Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest, Trump said in a televised address from the White House.
Test results from the aftermath of the raid had positively identified Baghdadi, he said.
"He was a sick and depraved man and now he's gone," Trump said.
Trump said "many" of Baghdadi's people were killed, and added that in killing himself,
Baghdadi also killed three children.
U.S. forces suffered no personnel losses, he said.
He also thanked Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iraq for their support.
Comment: The raid
reportedly lasted 4 hours (or
2 hours) and involved helicopters, warplanes and drones, and a firefight with Baghdadi's goons. Two air attacks were followed by a special forces raid. Footage is online claiming to be from the attack in Barisha:
More video from the alleged site (Rasheed, a Syrian journalist, says the Americans totally destroyed the compound which was there):
Another video shows the likely place of the blast which is alleged to have killed the IS leader:
© Global Look Press
Al-Baghdadi's safe house.
Iraqi state TV announced early they would air footage of the raid. So far the
Iraqis and the SDF (see tweet below) have claimed to have been involved in the intelligence gathering for the operation. Syrian sources reportedly discovered Baghdadi's whereabouts, and an Iriaqi intel officer claimed they received the information after arresting a man and woman from the IS chief's inner circle. A Turkish official says Baghdadi arrived at his final location 2 days before the operation, and Turkey was
aware of the mission.
Trump praised Russia's "great cooperation" in opening up the airspace over Idlib to allow US planes and drones access, and thanked Turkey for allowing the use of its own airspace to fly in. He also thanked the SDF for providing some intelligence. According to General Commander Abdi, the attack was
preceded by a 5-month intelligence operation. Another SDF official told reporters that the Turkish invasion
delayed the operation 1 month.
Before announcing the news, Trump
tweeted "Something very big has just happened!"
Before the announcement, Ryan Fournier, co-chairman of Students for Trump, had tweeted that US forces had "captured" Baghdadi, then clarified that it was unconfirmed. Yesterday, Newsweek reported that Pentagon and Army officials had been briefed that Baghdadi had been killed in Idlib in a mission greenlighted by Trump "about a week ago".
Seven bodies were allegedly reported found at the site, including three women and a child. Iraqi intel
say they received confirmation that Baghdadi's bodyguard and two of his wives were killed in the raid. Trump described Baghdadi's death like
this:
Describing the "daring" raid that led to al-Baghdadi's death as "like watching a movie," Trump spared no details.
"He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said. "He had dragged three of his young children with him. They were led to certain death."
"He reached the end of the tunnel as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest killing himself and the three children," the president continued. Though al-Baghdadi's body was mutilated by the blast, Trump said that test results gave "immediate and totally positive identification."
The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him.
"Baghdadi and the losers who worked for him, and losers they are, had no idea what they were getting into," he continued. "In some cases they were very frightened puppies. In other cases they were hardcore killers."
Trump described the atrocities of Islamic State under al-Baghdadi, including the genocide of Yazidi civilians, the beheadings of American journalists and aid workers, and the brutal burning alive of a captured Jordanian fighter pilot.
"This was what he was proud of. He was a sick and depraved man, and now he's gone," Trump stated. "Baghdadi was vicious and violent, and he died in a vicious and violent way, as a coward, running and crying."
Triumphant in victory, Trump warned would-be terrorists that they "should never sleep soundly, knowing that we will completely destroy them. These savage monsters will not escape their fate, and they will not escape the final judgment of God."
The Russian Defense Ministry says they have
no reliable information about the raid:
"The Russian Defence Ministry has no reliable information about US servicemen conduction an operation to 'yet another' elimination of the former Daesh leader Abu Bark al-Baghdadi in the Turkish-controlled part of the Idlib deescalation zone", ministry spokesman Maj.Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
...
"Russia treated us great. They opened up - we had to fly over certain Russia-held areas. Russia was great", Trump said.
The Russian Defence Ministry, however, stated that they are unaware of providing cooperation to US air units entering the airspace over the Idlib deescalation zone during that mission.
"No airstrikes performed by US aircraft or aircraft belonging to the so called 'international coalition' were detected on Saturday or during the following days", a statement by Maj.Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
US Defense Secretary Esper told
CNN: ""We tried to call him out and asked him to surrender himself. He refused. He went down to a subterranean area and in the process of trying to get him out, he detonated a suicide vest,
we believe, and killed himself."
Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Adam Schiff, among others, were not informed about the raid.
Iranian Telecommunications Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi said "not a big deal! you just killed your creature," in response to an earlier tweet from President Trump where he said "something very big just happened."
Comment: See also: