
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "blew himself up" when cornered by US forces who conducted a daring, two-hour nighttime raid on his compound in northern Syria, Trump said, providing a detailed account of the mission.
"Last night was a great night for the United States and for the world. A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated," he added.
Baghdadi's death marks the end of a years-long hunt to find one of the most wanted terrorists in the world and the man who declared a so-called Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
It was the most significant announcement of the death of a terror leader since President Barack Obama revealed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by US Navy Seals in a dramatic late night address in May 2011.
I congratulate President Trump on the successful operation in the fight against terror. This would undoubtedly cause a set back to the ISIS group and help make the world a safer place. pic.twitter.com/trI0KNZ56o
— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) October 28, 2019