Daesh leader al-Baghdadi believed dead in US military raid
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of the Daesh group who became arguably the world's most wanted man, is believed dead after being targeted by a U.S. military raid in Syria.
- Middle East
- Compiled from wire services
- Published Date: 12:36 | 27 October 2019
- Modified Date: 05:00 | 27 October 2019
The leader of the Daesh terror group, whose whereabouts have been unknown for a long while, is dead, according to U.S. news magazine, Newsweek.
Citing two anonymous sources from the Pentagon and the Army, it said the U.S. military conducted a special operation raid against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria's northwestern Idlib province.
U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted "Something very big has just happened!" Saturday night, when the report said the operation concluded.
"Trump approved the mission nearly a week before it took place," said the report.
Baghdadi was killed in the raid, said Newsweek, citing a U.S. Army source who was briefed on the results of the operation.
"And the Defense Department told the White House they have 'high confidence' that the high-value target killed was Baghdadi but further verification is pending," said Newsweek.
The Pentagon source told Newsweek that Baghdadi was "dead pending verification."
As well, Trump will make a "major statement" at 9 a.m. Sunday, according to the White House.
The U.S. president "will be making a major statement tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock from the White House," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.
That came shortly after Trump's tweet.
Baghdadi's whereabouts and status have been a mystery, and multiple claims have been made that he has been killed on various battlefields in Iraq and Syria.
- Israel's Gantz, Netanyahu hold talks to break gov't deadlock
- YPG-led SDF says will withdraw from Turkey border under Sochi deal
- US killed Daesh head in 4-hour raid in N.Syria: sources
- Saudi takes command of coalition forces in Yemen's Aden
- At least 67 killed in Iraq anti-government protests in 2 days