On Sunday, the White House announced that a “major statement” was to be made by President Donald Trump, who tweeted at 6.53am that “something very big has happened.”
News reports had trickled in on Saturday of claims that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in a morning raid in Northern Syria, with unnamed US defence officials saying the cleric blew himself up with his own suicide-vest.
At a press conference held shortly after 9am EDT, Trump announced the big news: Baghdadi had been killed, detonating his explosive-laden vest in a tunnel while being chased by dogs sent by US forces.
“I got to watch much of it. No personnel were lost in the operation, while a large number of Baghdadi’s fighters and companions were killed with him. He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way. The compound had been cleared with people either surrendering or being shot and killed."
"Young children were moved out of the house and are uninjured. The only ones remaining were Baghdadi and the tunnel and 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. His body was mutilated by the blast, the tunnel had caved in on it in addition. But test results gave certain immediate and totally positive identification. It was him.”
He said that a dog was hurt, but no US soldiers, and that the final death toll of Baghdadi's fighters would be released soon.
