Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died like a dog, says Donald Trump

Donald Trump says Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died ‘like a dog’ during a raid in Syria by US troops.

Militants search what is left of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s last redoubt on Monday. Picture: AP

Donald Trump says the elusive leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, died “like a dog” in a night-time raid by US special forces in northwest Syria.

The President said in a televised address from the White House early on Monday that US forces killed a “large number” of ISIS militants during the raid, which culminated with Baghdadi cornered in a tunnel, where he detonated a suicide vest.

“He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way,” Mr Trump said, adding that three of Baghdadi’s children were killed in the blast.

Baghdadi’s death gives a big political boost to Mr Trump as he faces an impeachment inquiry and after his abrupt decision to withdraw a small deployment of US forces from Syria raised fears that it would allow ISIS remnants to regroup and leave Kurdish forces vulnerable to a Turkish invasion. Mr Trump took a storm of criticism for the move, including from his Republican allies. On Sunday, however, they had little but praise.

Several world leaders joined in the approbation, though some added words of caution.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that it was “a turning point in our joint fight against terrorism”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the raid “an ­important moment in our fight against terror” but cautioned that the fight was “not yet over”.

Scott Morrison described the death of Baghdadi as a significant blow for the “perverted” terror group, but cautioned the fight against ISIS hadn’t ended with the high-profile death.

“This is a many-headed monster, Daesh, and as you cut one off, another one inevitably arises,” the Prime Minister said in Sydney.

“While we welcome this news … we are mindful though that the threat continues and we must remain vigilant and we will continue to be so ever-vigilant working with our partners around the world.”

Mr Morrison said no Australians were involved in the raid.

The site of the attack that killed Baghdadi in Barisha, Syria. Picture: AFP

Anthony Albanese “welcomed” the significant development. “I welcome this. ISIS and its affiliates are engaged in evil,” the Opposition Leader said. “They want to destroy our way of life, they engage in terrorist activity against their fellow Muslims, as well as around the world.”

An Iranian spokesman, Ali Rabiei, tweeted that Baghdadi’s death was not the end of ISIS ­terror “but just the end of a ­chapter”. But Russia raised doubts. “The Defence Ministry does not have reliable information … concerning the umpteenth ‘death’ of Bagh­dadi,” a spokesman said.

Baghdadi’s death has been reported several times over the years. Mr Trump said there was no doubt, however, saying a DNA field test had confirmed his identity.

Democrats commended the ­intelligence community, the military and the US partners involved, but cautioned that the ISIS threat was not over, particularly after Mr Trump’s decision – since partially reversed – to leave Syria. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded that her chamber be briefed on the raid and on Mr Trump’s broader regional policies, adding “the Russians, but not top congressional leadership, were notified” in advance.

A war monitor, the Syrian ­Observatory for Human Rights, had reported that US helicopters dropped forces in an area of Syria’s Idlib province where “groups linked to the Islamic State group” were present. The monitoring group, based in Britain but with sources in Syria, said the helicopters targeted a home and a car outside the village of Barisha.

The operation killed nine people, including an ISIS senior leader called Abu Yamaan, as well as a child and two women, it said. The targeted house was flattened, leaving nothing but rubble.

Though other jihadists operate there, the area is nominally under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qa’ida affiliate. The Hayat group had cordoned off the area, and bulldozers were already clearing the rubble.

Barisha is in a mountainous area less than 5km from Turkey and near a main border crossing.

A Turkish official said that “to the best of my knowledge, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrived at this location 48 hours prior to the raid”.

SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi said the operation came after “joint intelligence work” with US forces. ISIS spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir was killed in a raid on the village of Ain al-Baydah in an operation between the SDF and the US Army.

AFP