‘Watching a movie’: raid live-streamed to Donald Trump’s White House

Donald Trump watched with his top advisers as US special forces raided the compound of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Donald Trump in the situation room with, from left, Robert O'Brien, Mike Pence, Mark Esper, Mark Milley and Marcus Evans. Picture: AP

Donald Trump watched live feed with his top advisers as US special forces raided the compound of ­Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria’s Idlib province.

He said the US began receiving intelligence on the whereabouts of Baghdadi about a month ago, ­including some “helpful” information from the Kurds.

US intelligence officials were able to “scope out” his exact ­location two weeks ago while Mr Trump became aware of the planned raid three days ago.

As part of the plan, the US had to secure permission from Russia, Iraq and Turkey to fly over their airspace, according to Mr Trump and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.

Mr Trump said the White House did not disclose the nature of the operation to Russia but told Russian officials they would “like” it. On Saturday, Mr Trump arrived back at the White House at 4.30pm (10.30pm in Syria) after a round of golf in Virginia. At about 5pm, he gathered in the White House Situation Room with Vice-President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary Mark Esper, joint chiefs chairman General Mark Milley and deputy director of special operations Brigadier General Marcus Evans. They watched the raid unfold live “as if you were watching a movie”, Mr Trump said.

Moments after they gathered, US military personnel and military dogs lifted off in eight helicopters from a military base in the Middle East. The personnel came from the Delta Force. A US official said the operation was staged from an air base in western Iraq.

The on-the-ground operation in the Idlib region of Syria was supported by military aircraft and ships, Mr Trump said. The soldiers were also equipped with a military robot but did not ultimately use it.

Upon approaching Baghdadi’s compound, the helicopters came under gunfire but US forces were able to quickly suppress the assault and land safely. Believing the main compound door to be booby trapped, they entered in seconds by blasting through the wall. “We were getting full reports on a minute-by-minute basis,” Mr Trump said.

US forces quickly cleared the compound with people either surrendering or being shot and killed.

Eleven children were removed, uninjured, and taken into care by a third party. US soldiers captured several ISIS fighters. Baghdadi fled into a subterranean area of the complex and into a tunnel, dragging three of his children with him. US forces called for Baghdadi to surrender but he refused.

Chased by the dogs and confronted by a dead end, Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and his children, and causing the tunnel to collapse. No troops were hurt although one dog was badly wounded.

With Baghdadi’s body “mutilated by the blasts”, US forces used a DNA test on site to confirm his identity in about 15 minutes. “The test results gave certain, immediate and totally positive identification. It was him,” Mr Trump said.

Reuters