Islamic State leader Baghdadi died ‘in panic and dread’, says Trump – World

Fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died "whining and crying" in a raid by US special forces in northwestern Syria, President Donald Trump announced Sunday, in what he called a great victory over the militant group .

Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest after fleeing to a dead end tunnel, Trump said in a televised speech from the White House.

He was positively identified by DNA tests 15 minutes after his death, the president said.

"He was a sick and depraved man and now he's gone," Trump said, adding that capturing or killing Baghdadi had been the top national security priority for his administration.

The death of Baghdadi is a blow to the Islamic State, which has been in disarray and has not yet declared successor as leader. But the group has proven in the past to be resilient, continue to mount or inspire attacks in the region and beyond despite losing most of its territory in recent years.

Trump said "many" people in Baghdadi were killed in the raid and added that when they exploded, Baghdadi also killed three of his children.

US forces suffered no loss of personnel, he said. He also thanked Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iraq for their support.

Turkey said it was proud to have helped "bring a notorious terrorist to justice" and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on an "impressive achievement."

But Russia's response was silenced, with the defense ministry in Moscow simply saying that it had no reliable information about the United States raid.

Baghdadi had been wanted by the United States for a long time as head of a militant group that at one time controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, where he declared a caliphate. The Islamic State has carried out atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of an ultra-fanatic version of Islam that horrified conventional Muslims.

"The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in total fear, panic and fear, terrified by the US forces attacking him," Trump said.

“He reached the end of the tunnel when our dogs chased him. He lit his vest, killing himself and his three children. His body was mutilated by the explosions. The tunnel had collapsed on him, ”Trump added.

"He died … moaning, crying and screaming."

Aircraft sound

In the hours before Trump's announcement, regional sources described the raid on a complex in the town of Barisha, in the province of Idlib, on the border with Turkey, in the early hours of Sunday.

“We woke up to the sound of airplanes, we went out and saw (forces) in front of us carrying weapons. & # 39; Get on the floor, get on the floor! & # 39; (they said) so we went down, "said a local resident Reuters TV.

“They handcuffed us and set us aside. (They asked) & # 39; How do you know this man? & # 39; We said we didn't know him, we would see people coming and going, but we never interacted with them. Then they said: "you are safe, stay aside."

Iraqi state television broadcast nighttime images of an explosion and daytime images of a crater on the ground and what he said were the aftermath of the raid, including torn clothes and blood stained.

The Iraqi army later said in a statement that its intelligence services had located Baghdadi's whereabouts and passed the information to the United States.

Trump said eight helicopters took troops from the US special forces. UU. To the complex where Baghdadi was hiding, where they ran into shots before making their way through the walls to avoid a main gate with explosive traps.

US forces spent about two hours in the complex, he said, adding that "confidential information" related to the militant group of the Islamic State had been taken.

Russia "treated us very well" by opening the airspace it controlled for the raid and Kurdish allies gave useful information, according to Trump. The Russian defense ministry, however, said it was not aware of any help to US forces.

The president said he watched the operation take place in the White House Situation Room, with Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and joint military chiefs. He added that Russia had not been aware of the nature of the American mission.

Critical Withdrawal

Trump had faced the withering criticism of his Republican and Democratic colleagues for announcing the withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria earlier this month, which allowed Turkey to attack the Kurdish allies of the United States while seeking to establish a " safe zone".

Trump said the raid would not change his decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

Many critics of the withdrawal have expressed concern over the abandonment of Kurdish forces that had been instrumental in defeating the Islamic State in Syria, and because the measure could allow the group to regain strength and pose a threat to the interests of the United States.

Baghdadi's successful goal in the raid could help mitigate those concerns, as well as boost Trump nationwide at a time when he faces a political trial investigation in the US House of Representatives.

Relief for a grieving father

At the height of its power, the Islamic State ruled millions of people in a territory that extends from northern Syria through cities and towns along the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital from Baghdad.

The group killed thousands of civilians while riding what the United Nations called a genocidal campaign against the Yazidi minority in Iraq. It also caused worldwide revulsion by beheading foreign citizens from countries such as the United States, Britain and Japan.

In a notorious incident, mentioned by Trump in his television address, a Jordanian pilot captured from the air force was burned alive in a cage.

On Sunday, the pilot's father, Safi Al-Kasaesbeh, said Reuters TV He was relieved by the news of Baghdadi's death.

"I am proud and happy on this day, after hearing the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, this corrupt man, this insect, this virus that spread throughout the body not only of the Arab nation but also of the Muslim nation, that distorted the image of Muslims and Islam, ”he said.

The group has claimed responsibility or inspired attacks in dozens of cities, including Paris, Nice, Orlando, Manchester, London and Berlin, and in nearby Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

But in 2017, the Islamic State lost control of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, and quickly thereafter almost all of its territory, making Baghdadi a fugitive.

During a three-year push by a US-led coalition, the airstrikes killed most of their main lieutenants and there were conflicting reports about whether Baghdadi was alive until IS posted a video message of his in April.

$ 25 million reward

Raghdadi, an Iraqi native who is believed to be around 48 years old, was rarely seen.

After 2014, he disappeared from sight, only appeared in a video in April this year with a gray and red beard and an assault rifle by his side, while encouraging fans to "get back" from the members of the Islamic State who They had been killed.

His reappearance was seen as a reaffirmation of his leadership of a group that, although he had lost his physical territory, had spread from the Middle East to Asia and Africa and claimed several deadly attacks in Europe.

But Baghdadi kept running away. The U.S. Department of State UU. He published a $ 25 million reward for information on his whereabouts.

In September, the group released an audio message that is said to come from Baghdad and praises the operations of Islamic State affiliates in other regions.