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ISIS leader al-Baghdadi
killed in US raid in Syria,
Trump confirms
RT,
26
October, 2019
US
President Donald Trump has announced that Islamic State leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed during a US military raid in northwest
Syria, confirming an avalanche of rumors on the terrorist’s death.
“Al-Baghdadi
has been killed… in a daring nighttime raid,” Trump
said in a live address from the White House.
“The
United States brought the world's No.1 terrorist leader to justice.”
The
troops involved in the elimination of the terrorist “accomplished
the mission in grand style,” while the
IS leader met his end “crying
and screaming” due
to being terrified by Americans might, Trump boasted.
He died like a dog, like a coward. The world now is a much safer place.
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.
Meanwhile,
the elimination of the IS leader doesn’t change his plans to
withdraw American forces from Syria, Trump noted. However, the US
troops who were sent to secure the oil fields in the country’s
northeastern province of Deir ez-Zor earlier this week, will remain
on site.
Somewhat
raining on Trump’s parade, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said
later on Sunday that the death alone cannot eradicate the ideology
that inspires Islamic State group. According to his French
counterpart, Florence Parly, the American operaion was an "early
retirement for a terrorist, but not for his organisation."
There
have been previous reports of al-Baghdadi’s death, but none were
confirmed. At the height of its power, al-Baghdadi’s terrorist
group controlled vast swathes of Iraq and Syria. The Syrian Army,
aided by Iran and Russia, has nearly eradicated the group from its
territory.
The
killing of al-Baghdadi could actually have the opposite effect to
what Trump was declaring, former Pentagon official Michael Maloof
warned in an interview with RT.
“I
think it’ll give it [Islamic State] a fresh impetus to continue
on,” he
pointed out, adding that a lot will depend on how charismatic the
group’s new leader will be.
There
are also rumors that al-Baghdadi’s death may pave the way for a
reunion between IS and Al-Qaeda, which would be “an
even more potentially dangerous thing,” Maloof
said. The two groups used to be enemies due to al-Baghdadi falling
out with Al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, but now this obstacle
has been removed by the US.
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