*ISLAMABAD - The US military conducted a special operations raid targeting Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS. His death is still pending further verification, but senior Pentagon officials say they have “high confidence” that the high-value target killed was Baghdadi.*
*Newsweek* link the first to report the news. It also reported that US President Donald Trump sanctioned the mission nearly a week before it took place.
The White House announced that the president would make a “major statement” at 1300 GMT. A tweet from the president confirms that something of significance has taken place.
link Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump link link
Something very big has just happened! 189K link 6:23 AM - Oct 27, 2019 link Twitter Ads info and privacy link
121K people are talking about this link
If confirmed, this will be the highest-ranking terrorist leader to be killed or captured since Osama bin Laden’s death in 2011.
A senior Pentagon official told *Newsweek* that there was a brief firefight when US forces entered the compound and that Baghdadi then killed himself by detonating a suicide vest. Family members were present. According to Pentagon sources, no children were harmed in the raid but two of Baghdadi’s wives were killed, possibly by the vest detonation.
The raid was conducted by members of a team from the Joint Special Operations Command.
Baghdadi is an Iraqi national who became active in the Islamist insurgency against US forces following the 2003 invasion that toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He was held by US forces in the detention centres of Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca.