THE leader of Islamic State OF iraq and Levant, ISIS or ISIL, Abu Bakr al-Baghdad, is believed to have been killed in a US military operation in Northwest Syria on Saturday, according to a senior US defence official.
CNN reports that final confirmation is pending while DNA and biometric testing is being conducted.
The defence official said the raid was carried out by special operations commandos and it appears that Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest during the raid.
According to the report, the CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, and Iraqi forces also gave “important information” in the operation, Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Joint Operations said.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander, Mazloum Abdi, tweeted on Sunday that there was a “successful” joint operation with the US — but did not specifically name what that operation was or give any further details.
Successful& historical operation due to a joint intelligence work with the United States of America.
— Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) October 27, 2019
The US president Donald Trump on Saturday evening stoked speculation when he tweeted “something very big has just happened!”
Something very big has just happened!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2019
Newsweek first reported that Baghdadi was believed to have been killed. It will be recalled that the ISIS leader has been wrongly reported dead on several previous occasions, there is uncertainty over al-Baghdadi was killed in the raid as no source is yet to confirm the speculations.
However, Trump is scheduled to make a major announcement Sunday at 9 a.m.
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww