The notorious ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is really dead now, after he detonated his suicide vest during a US military operation in Syria.
The elusive terrorist, who has reportedly been killed a number of times already, took his own life when he was cornered during an overnight raid by American special ops forces.
US President Donald Trump confirmed his death saying: ‘He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way,’ He added that Baghdadi had taken three of his children with him. ‘They were led to certain death.’
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Trump said he watched the operation alongside Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and a few others and marveled to reporters about the quality of the video feed, saying it was “like a movie.
The tunnel was destroyed and al-Bghdadi’s body was “mutilated” but forensics teams were apparently able to identify his remains.
RT reports: Military choppers and even drones provided air cover as US special forces engaged targets on the ground in Idlib province – the last major terrorist stronghold in the country.
Al-Baghdadi escaped to a tunnel dug under his hideout and took three of his young children. He was chased by the dogs and when he reached the dead end the terrorist detonated the suicide vest he was wearing.
The IS leader and his children died on site, Trump confirmed, saying the body of the notorious militant “was mutilated”, but the tests allowed to identify him.
The US forces suffered no casualties during the two-hour-long raid, with only a dog, which chased the terrorist into the tunnel, being hurt. Meanwhile, “many” of al-Baghdadi’s fighters and associates were killed. Washington also obtained “highly sensitive materials,” which will reveal a lot about IS activities and future plans, Trump said.
The president also praised the “great cooperation” with Russia during the op as Moscow opened up the airspace under its control in Syria to American planes when Washington asked for it.
The US has been after al-Baghdadi for many years, but was only able to scope out his whereabouts a few weeks ago, he said. Hours before Trump’s announcement, a commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, hailed the “successful, historic operation as a result of joint intelligence work with the US.”
The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) leader’s whereabouts were unknown for years. He made public appearances only a handful of times since founding his “worldwide caliphate” in 2014.
