[VIDEO] U.S. president Donald Trump says Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has been killed

[MenInG]

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(CNN)ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is believed to have been killed in a raid conducted by the US military in northwest Syria on Saturday, according to a senior US defense official and a source with knowledge. The final confirmation is pending while DNA and biometric testing is conducted, both sources tell CNN.

The defense official said it appears that Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest during the raid.
The CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, the defense official said.

Newsweek first reported that Baghdadi was believed to have been killed.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to make a major announcement Sunday at 9 a.m., White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley announced. An administration official tells CNN that the announcement is foreign policy related.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Baghdadi, the leader of the terror group, has been in hiding for the last five years. In April, a video was published by the ISIS media wing al-Furqan that showed a man purporting to be Baghdadi. It was the first time Baghdadi has been seen since July 2014, when he spoke at the Great Mosque in Mosul.

In February 2018, several US officials said Baghdadi had been wounded in an airstrike in May 2017 and had to relinquish control of the terror group for up to five months because of his injuries.

Baghdadi became the leader of Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) in 2010. In 2013, ISI declared its absorption of an al Qaeda-backed militant group in Syria and Baghdadi said that his group will now be known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).

White House officials were at the White House late Saturday evening in preparation.

One official told CNN the announcement will be in the Diplomatic Reception Room.

Trump stoked speculation when he tweeted Saturday evening "something very big has just happened!"


https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/26/politics/white-house-trump-announcement-sunday/index.html


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Something very big has just happened!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1188264965930700801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

The US military has conducted an operation against the fugitive leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, US media report.

Claims of a raid against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have not been confirmed.

The White House said US President Donald Trump would make a "major statement" on Sunday, but gave no further details.

Mr Trump earlier shared a cryptic tweet saying: "Something very big has just happened!"

Officials quoted anonymously by various media outlets said US forces targeted the militant leader in a raid in northwest Syria.

A US official told Reuters news agency an operation took place but was unable to confirm speculation that Baghdadi was killed.

The IS leader has been wrongly reported to be dead on previous occasions.

The White House has not confirmed either that an operation took place, or its alleged outcome.

The raid was carried out by special operations forces after they received "actionable intelligence", Newsweek said, citing unnamed sources.

Following the reports, UK-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said helicopter gunfire had killed nine people near a village in Syria's Idlib province, where "groups linked to the Islamic State group" were present.

Mr Trump is set to make his statement at 09:00 (13:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?
The IS leader has been described as the world's most wanted man.

In October 2011, the US officially designated him a "terrorist" and offered a $10m (£5.8m; 7.3m euros) reward for information leading to his capture or death.

Baghdadi has a reputation as a highly organised and ruthless battlefield tactician.

He was born near Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, and his real name is Ibrahim Awad al-Badri.

Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion in 2003.

Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained.

He emerged in 2010 as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that merged with IS, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger with al-Nusra Front in Syria.

IS released a video of a man it said was Baghdadi earlier this year. Before this, he had not been seen since 2014, when he proclaimed from Mosul the creation of a "caliphate" across parts of Syria and Iraq.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50198123

 

[Cypher]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi DEAD: ISIS leader 'killed in US special forces raid in Syria'

The United States has carried out an operation targeting Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL or ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told news agencies.

A US official told The Associated Press that the ISIL leader was targeted in Syria's Idlib province. Another US official confirmed to Reuters news agency that the operation took place but did not disclose details and did not say whether it was successful.

Newsweek, citing a US Army official briefed on the result of the operation, said al-Baghdadi was killed in the raid.

US President Donald Trump plans to make a "major statement" at the White House at 9 am EST (1300 GMT) on Sunday, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said on Saturday.

Earlier, Trump tweeted: "Something very big has just happened!"

 

[Bhaijaan]

He became a villain later in his life but i wonder how many people know of his early days and hardships he faced.

If you want to learn how villains are made by society and economic conditions then i suggest you please watch the movie Joker..

 

[Danyaalr01]

I swear this guy dies every few years.

 

[Abdullah719]

IS leader 'died like a dog', Donald Trump says

Spoiler

Donald Trump has confirmed that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was killed in a US military operation.

The president said: "Last night, we brought the world's number one terrorist leader to justice."

Al Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children during the operation by igniting a suicide vest, according to Mr Trump.

"He died like a dog, like a coward," the president said.

Test results from the aftermath of the raid confirmed the deceased was the Islamic State leader.

The president said US special forces had conducted a "daring raid" which lasted around two hours, during which a large number of al Baghdadi's companions were also killed.

US military booby-trapped the main door of the compound al Baghdadi was found in and used eight helicopters in the operation.

Mr Trump said no US personnel were killed and 11 children present were uninjured.

The notorious terror group leader was one of the world's most wanted criminals, with a bounty of $25m (£19.5m) on his head.

He was at the centre of an international manhunt for years but he had not made an appearance since 2014.

Speculation began on Saturday night when President Trump tweeted "Something very big has just happened!" but gave no further explanation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier reported an attack in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, where IS operatives were believed to be hiding in the area.

The UK-based observatory documented nine deaths in the attack.

The strike came amid concerns that a recent US pullback from northeastern Syria could infuse new strength into the militant group, which had lost vast stretches of territory it had once controlled.

Al Baghdadi, who led IS for the past five years, was seen in the summer of 2014 in the pulpit of the Nouri mosque in Mosul.

He urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader.

"It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you," he said in the video.

"I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God."

In 2015, he was reportedly severely injured in an airstrike in western Iraq, and he was possibly even killed a few years later according to Russian officials.

He has also been heard in a number of audio messages to followers, including an 18-minute speech given earlier this year.

Al Baghdadi oversaw a shift away from large-scale attacks towards smaller acts of violence that would be harder for law enforcement to prevent.

He encouraged jihadists who could not travel to the caliphate to kill where they were, with whatever weapon they had at their disposal.

In the US, multiple extremists have pledged their allegiance to al Baghdadi on social media, including a woman who along with her husband committed a 2015 massacre at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.

https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-confirms-islamic-state-leader-killed-by-us-military-11846633

 

[kk1992]

Great news.

 

[IMMY69]

Trump just said they should have kept the oil in Iraq...
Excuse me?

 

[barah_admi]

Lol who was this nobody ?

 

[Markhor]

Trump just said they should have kept the oil in Iraq...
Excuse me?

This is quite the press conference

 

[Cypher]

He called Hamza Bin Laden "Tall" and "VERY handsome"

 

[Stewie]

The way he talks, I suspect some serious brain damage.

What a timely win for the president. He needed something big and tangible to detract and distract from the impeachment inquiry going on and how fortunate this just happens to fall in his lap like an Apple! Amazing!!

 

[Danyaalr01]

The way he talks, I suspect some serious brain damage.

What a timely win for the president. He needed something big and tangible to detract and distract from the impeachment inquiry going on and how fortunate this just happens to fall in his lap like an Apple! Amazing!!

The US seem to kill this guy every couple of years. Maybe the next president will also "kill" him just before the next elections.

 

[Stewie]

That’s funny.. I never realized this. Have their been previous claims by US of killing him? I didn’t know that!

 

[Bewal Express]

Evil is too good a word to describe this guy.

 

[Cypher]

Evil is too good a word to describe this guy.

Is "very evil" better?

 

[Saeed]

He has been killed like dozen times over the last few years. Good if true though, one less trouble maker for rebels to worry about.

 

[sweep_shot]

Baghdadi finally got killed. It was about time.

This man is responsible for deaths of so many Muslims and non-Muslims. Good riddance.

 

[saeedhk]

Good day for humanity. Thanks President Trump!!

 

[Stewie]

I don’t doubt that he took three innocent kids with him... nothing is beyond **** like him.

 

[BaankeJi]

This is a great news. Killing ISIS head will shake other terrorist organizations and their heads as well.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Iran's minister of communications on Baghdadi operation &#55357;&#56391; <a href="https://t.co/NuvN8tRO3H">pic.twitter.com/NuvN8tRO3H</a></p>— BBC Monitoring (@BBCMonitoring) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCMonitoring/status/1188487563557953540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[Stewie]

Haha.. that’s hilarious

 

[globalcitizen]

What a coward terrorist baghdadi. Anyway I doubt the ideology is dead, someone will take his place so it just goes on.

 

[sjahmed23]

Good enough to make his base believe it. I hope this leads to America exiting from the middle east.

 

[Savak]

No biggie, there will be another one who will come up

 

[Cypher]

No biggie, there will be another one who will come up

Al Baghdadi wasn't even the leader
He gave the leadership to Abdullah Qardash in Aug of this year.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Al Baghdadi wasn't even the leader
He gave the leadership to Abdullah Qardash in Aug of this year.

The training he got in prison evidently wasn’t enough for him to escape the bullet

Junaid baghdadi name is forever tarnished

 

[sweep_shot]

Where does Baghdadi's death leave IS?
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, has killed himself during a raid by US commandos in north-west Syria, President Donald Trump has said.

Baghdadi came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria.

His death is a major victory for Mr Trump as he faces heavy criticism for his decision to pull US troops out of northern Syria.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner describes the operation to capture Baghdadi and analyses what it means for IS.

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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_...re-does-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-s-death-leave-is.

 

[sweep_shot]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/embedded-video/mmvo72132677980" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-pr...-4-hours-72132677980?cid=referral_taboolafeed.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baghdadi's body disposed of at sea by US military – AFP citing Pentagon source</p>— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1188902603742167046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[KingKhanWC]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baghdadi's body disposed of at sea by US military – AFP citing Pentagon source</p>— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1188902603742167046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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lol. The millions of backward Americans will fall this nonsense in the same way they did for OBL.

Baghdadi is probably on holiday in the Maldives now having shaved off his beard and changed loose clothing for speedos.

 

[Redchilly007]

lol. The millions of backward Americans will fall this nonsense in the same way they did for OBL.

Baghdadi is probably on holiday in the Maldives now having shaved off his beard and changed loose clothing for speedos.

So OBL is in Maldives now?

 

[KingKhanWC]

So OBL is in Maldives now?

OBL died in the early 2000's. Mushy said this at the time and other leaders too have said the same.

Can you please explain how Baghdadi became leader of ISIS? When, how ?

 

[Redchilly007]

OBL died in the early 2000's. Mushy said this at the time and other leaders too have said the same.

Can you please explain how Baghdadi became leader of ISIS? When, how ?

As far as I know no one from Pakistani establishment disputed US govt.'s claim of killing him in 2011.
I am not sure about how Mr. Baghdadi became leader of ISIS as I haven't read about him. I am not sure that killing him would stop the ideology he followed. More people like him will come forward and do more killing.

 

[KingKhanWC]

As far as I know no one from Pakistani establishment disputed US govt.'s claim of killing him in 2011.
I am not sure about how Mr. Baghdadi became leader of ISIS as I haven't read about him. I am not sure that killing him would stop the ideology he followed. More people like him will come forward and do more killing.

Because the American, western narrative is always accepted. Pakistan had no evidence and it wasnt in the nations interest to argue otherwise. In return Yanks said Pakistan were not harbouring him and continued to give masses of financial aid. They didn't take him alive and show off to the world?

I suggest you do some research. Its nothing to do with ideology, they are not the BJP/RSS but a bunch of hired mercaneries who were payed very well for recruiting others and fighting for geo-political strategies.

 

[Technics 1210]

Trump has pulled the same stunt as Obama did with OBL - this is pure electioneering! Easy votes!

 

[Slog]

OBL died in the early 2000's. Mushy said this at the time and other leaders too have said the same.

Can you please explain how Baghdadi became leader of ISIS? When, how ?

How do you know he died in early 2000s? Musharraf is the most honest man? Do you agree with musharraf that’s OBL carried out 9/11?

 

[KingKhanWC]

How do you know he died in early 2000s? Musharraf is the most honest man? Do you agree with musharraf that’s OBL carried out 9/11?

I was responding to an Indian so used Mushy but take Bhutto, ISI cheifs, Karzai, US media reports, FBI cheif, Taliban or how about the Israeli intelligence services. All said OBL is dead but later the narrative changed because the US couldn't get out of Afghanistan.

You maybe an American and I can understand it's tough for you guys to against the official stories of your nation but you seriously cant be telling me you think WT7 fell at near free fall speed due to office fires? Once you know this was a lie, then you will see the whole story is more like disney than history.

 

[sweep_shot]

Two men were captured during the US military's raid on Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's hideout in Syria and are in US custody, says the Pentagon.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said they were now "in a secure facility".

General Mark Milley also announced that Baghdadi's remains had been disposed of and there were currently no plans to share footage of his death.

Baghdadi killed himself during the raid, the US says.

"Baghdadi's remains were transported to a secure facility to confirm his identity with forensic DNA testing, and the disposal of his remains has been done and is complete and was handled appropriately," Gen Milley told reporters.

Gen Milley - the highest ranking member of the US military - said photos and video were going through "a declassification process".

President Donald Trump had earlier suggested that some footage from the raid might be released.

There were no further details about the detained men.

Baghdadi died from detonating a suicide vest after fleeing into a tunnel while being chased by US military dogs, President Trump announced on Sunday.

The Pentagon says no US personnel were killed in the raid but one of the dogs pursuing Baghdadi was seriously injured. Gen Milley said the dog's name was classified.

In response to a question about Mr Trump's contention that Baghdadi had whimpered and cried before his death, Gen Milley said he was not aware where the information came from but added: "I assume it was [from] talking directly to unit members."

Gen Milley also said that US troops would continue to protect oilfields from IS militants, though "at the end of the day, we will be sending troops home".

Mr Trump has said the US should be able to take some of the oil, but critics say doing so would violate the Geneva Convention's laws against pillaging natural resources.

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrumpEnd of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
What did Trump say on Monday?
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Mr Trump defended his decision to keep the US Congress in the dark about the raid, citing leak concerns.

Mr Trump singled out Adam Schiff, who heads the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, one of three panels leading an impeachment probe against the president.

"They were talking about why didn't I give the information to Adam Schiff and his committee, and the answer is I think Adam Schiff is the biggest leaker in Washington," he said.

Mr Trump did not provide specific evidence against the Democratic congressman.

Typically, the White House informs select lawmakers about classified intelligence matters. They normally include the House Speaker, minority and majority leaders of both the House and the Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of both chambers' intelligence committees.

When asked whether he would release the footage of the raid - which he has likened to watching a "movie" - the president said: "We may take certain parts of it and release it, yes."

Who was Baghdadi?
The IS leader came to prominence in 2014 when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria.

Although the US declared the "caliphate" defeated earlier this year, IS militants remain active in the region and elsewhere.

Baghdadi's death is being seen as a policy victory for Mr Trump, who continues to face criticism from political rivals and allies for his decision to pull troops out of northern Syria.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50210584.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1189172468159864832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[sweep_shot]

The US military has published the first footage of the raid in northern Syria in which the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group was killed.

Grainy video showed troops firing at militants on the ground as they flew towards the compound where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hiding before they moved in on the ground.

Baghdadi fled into a tunnel and killed himself by detonating a suicide vest.

After the raid the compound was destroyed with munitions.

The head of US Central Command, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, said the destroyed buildings were left looking like "a parking lot with large potholes".

Gen McKenzie said two children had died with Baghdadi in the tunnel - not three as previously reported.

He also could not confirm President Donald Trump's graphic description of Baghdadi whimpering and crying as he died.

"He crawled into a hole with two small children and blew himself up while his people stayed on the ground. You can deduce what kind of person it is based on that activity," he told a news conference.

"That would be my empirical observation of what he did. I'm not able to confirm anything else about his last seconds. I just can't confirm that one way or another."

Gen McKenzie said four women - who were wearing suicide vests - and one man were killed at the compound.

He said an unknown number of fighters also died after opening fire on US helicopters.

He added: "I want to make it clear that despite the high-pressure and high-profile nature of this assault that every effort was made to avoid civilian casualties and to protect children we suspected would be in the compound."

Gen McKenzie confirmed that the IS leader had been identified through his DNA - adding that samples had been on file since Baghdadi's detention in an Iraqi prison in 2004.

He said Baghdadi's remains were flown back to a staging base for identification and were then buried at sea within 24 hours of his death "in accordance with the laws of armed conflict".

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50243895.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Here we see the object of the assault-the compound where Baghdadi was hiding. As I noted earlier, this isolated compound was in Idlib province in Northwest Syria" - Gen Frank McKenzie CDR USCENTCOM <a href="https://t.co/VwxRJMN0rS">pic.twitter.com/VwxRJMN0rS</a></p>— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1189648313831895043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"...at the compound, fighters from two locations in the vicinity of the compound began firing on U.S. aircraft participating in the assault." <br>- Gen Frank McKenzie CDR USCENTCOM <a href="https://t.co/SkrtHNDs7w">pic.twitter.com/SkrtHNDs7w</a></p>— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1189648916146532352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

The Islamic State (IS) group has confirmed the death of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and named his successor.

An IS outlet on messaging service Telegram announced that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurashi was the group's new leader and "caliph".

US special forces tracked down Baghdadi in north-west Syria at the weekend and attacked his compound.

The IS leader fled into a tunnel and killed himself with a suicide vest.

Baghdadi was declared leader of the extremist group in 2014 when IS took control of large parts of Iraq and Syria and imposed its rule over the civilian population.

Who was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?What we know about the US raid

In an audio message, IS also confirmed the death of spokesman Abu al-Hasan al-Muhajir - who was killed in a separate joint US-Kurdish operation on 27 October. The Saudi national had been considered a potential successor to Baghdadi.

New IS spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi also called on Muslims to swear allegiance to Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi.

Who is Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurashi?

Hashemi's name is not known to global security forces, and is believed to be a nom de guerre.

IS did not release many details about the new leader or release a photo, but they did claim he was a veteran jihadist fighter who had fought against the West.

The group also made clear that he claims to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad's Quraysh tribe - something generally held by pre-modern Sunni scholars as being a key qualification for becoming a caliph, the religious-political ruler of a caliphate.

What is the context?

IS declared the creation of a "caliphate" - a state governed in accordance with Sharia - after seizing control of huge swathes of Iraq in 2014. It proclaimed Baghdadi as "Caliph Ibrahim" and demanded allegiance from Muslims worldwide.

Despite the demise of its physical caliphate in March, IS remains a battle-hardened and well-disciplined force.

The group still has between 14,000 and 18,000 "members" in Iraq and Syria, including up to 3,000 foreigners, according to a recent US report.

Before the announcement, the BBC's Mina al-Lami said: "If IS chooses to appoint someone who is not a Qurashi, then perhaps it is an implicit acknowledgement that the 'caliphate' is no more."

With the group's declaration, it is trying to show that this is not the case.

What happened to Baghdadi?

Shortly before IS released the name of its new leader, the US military released more information about the killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a raid in northern Syria on the weekend.

In grainy footage, troops were seen firing at militants on the ground as they flew towards a compound.

This was where Baghdadi was hiding. Then, the former IS leader fled into a tunnel and killed himself by detonating a suicide vest.

After the raid, the compound was destroyed with munitions.

Media captionThe grainy footage shows troops closing in on the compound - and later an explosion destroying it

The head of US Central Command, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, said the destroyed buildings were left looking like "a parking lot with large potholes".

He added that he could not confirm President Donald Trump's graphic description of Baghdadi whimpering and crying as he died.

But Gen McKenzie did tell reporters at the Pentagon that Baghdadi "crawled into a hole with two small children and blew himself up while his people stayed on the ground".

"You can deduce what kind of person it is based on that activity," he added.

 

[sweep_shot]

The sister of former Islamic State group (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been captured in northern Syria, Turkish officials say.

The 65-year-old, named as Rasmiya Awad, was detained in a raid on Monday near the town of Azaz, officials said.

Turkish officials, cited by multiple media outlets, said the arrest could yield valuable intelligence about IS.

Baghdadi killed himself during a raid by US special forces on his compound in north-west Syria last month.

His death was hailed as a victory for US President Donald Trump, but critics argue that IS remains a security threat in Syria and elsewhere.

One Turkish official told Reuters news agency the arrest of Baghdadi's older sister may help shed light on "the inner workings of ISIS".

Little is known about Baghdadi's sister and the BBC has not yet been able to independently verify the identity of the arrested woman.

Baghdadi had five brothers and several sisters, although it is not clear if they are all still alive, the New York Times reports.

The arrest was reportedly made in Aleppo province, which is controlled by Turkey after it launched an offensive in the area last month.

Ms Awad was found in a trailer, where she was living with her husband, daughter-in-law and five children, a Turkish official told AP news agency, adding that she was being interrogated on suspicion of involvement with an extremist group.

The official said that Ms Awad could be an intelligence "gold mine".

Experts say it is not clear how much useful intelligence Ms Awad could provide, or how much time she spent with Baghdadi.

"I don't think she'd be privy to any imminent attack plans, but she might know smuggling routes. She might know networks that Baghdadi trusted, people that he trusted, networks in Iraq that helped her facilitate her own travel and her family's travel," Mike Pregent, a counter terrorism expert at the Hudson Institute, told BBC World News.

"This should be able to give our US intelligence and other allied intelligence officers a view into [IS] networks and how they moved family members, how they travelled and who they trusted."

What happened to Baghdadi?
President Trump announced the death of Baghdadi at a press conference at the White House on 27 October.

Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest after fleeing into a tunnel during a US raid on his hideout in Idlib province, Mr Trump said.

Footage of the raid was later released by the US military. In grainy footage, helicopters were seen firing at gunmen on the ground as they flew towards a compound where Baghdadi was hiding.

On landing, US special forces commandos blew holes in the walls of the compound and called on Baghdadi to surrender, the military said. But he fled into a tunnel and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and two children he had taken with him.

Mr Trump said DNA tests were carried out to verify Baghdadi's identity, confirming his death.

After the raid, the compound was destroyed in an air strike.

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurashi has since been named as IS's new leader and "caliph".

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50297801.

 

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Two ex-British alleged Islamic State (IS) militants have been charged in the United States over the killing of four American hostages.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are accused of belonging to an IS cell dubbed "The Beatles" involved in kidnappings in Iraq and Syria.

The pair are being held in FBI custody and will appear in a US federal court in Virginia later.

The men, previously in US military custody in Iraq, deny the charges.

It comes after the UK sent evidence to the US following assurances the two men will not face the death penalty.

They are alleged to have been members of an IS gang responsible for the death of hostages in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The men were previously stripped of their UK nationality.

The victims - who included American journalists and UK and US aid workers - were beheaded and their deaths filmed and broadcast on social media.

Kotey and Elsheikh were part of the IS cell nicknamed by hostages after the 1960s pop group due to their British accents.

Another member, Mohammed Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John" died in a drone strike in 2016.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54449482

 

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Iraq court sentences a widow of ISIL leader al-Baghdadi to death​

An Iraqi court has sentenced a widow of late ISIL (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to death for her role in the armed group and for detaining Yazidi women, the judiciary has announced.

The court in west Baghdad handed down the sentence to the woman, who is in custody, under Iraq’s anti-terrorism law, according to a statement on Wednesday from Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.

She was accused of collaborating with ISIL and using her home in Mosul to hold kidnapped Yazidi women who were later taken captive by ISIL fighters in Sinjar in northern Iraq.

The court did not name the accused woman, but a judicial official cited by the AFP news agency identified her as Asma Mohamed.

She was sentenced to “death by hanging”, a court official told the Reuters news agency, adding that the ruling must be ratified by an Iraqi appeals court to become final and applicable.

The charges against al-Baghdadi’s wife come nearly five years after United States special forces killed the ISIL leader, who had built a self-declared “caliphate” across vast swaths of Iraq and Syria.

Yazidis suffered persecution during al-Baghdadi’s lightning advance through northern Iraq in 2014. ISIL fighters systematically killed thousands of their men and forced Yazidi women into sexual slavery.

More than 10 years on, members of the minority group are still struggling to recover from ISIL’s onslaught with more than 200,000 of them displaced, according to a report by Refugees International and Voice of Ezidis. Few have received reparations or compensation.

Since ISIL was driven out of all the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017, Iraqi courts have handed down hundreds of death sentences and life prison terms to those convicted of membership in “a terrorist group”. They include more than 500 foreign men and women found guilty of joining ISIL.

In February, Iraq announced it had secured the repatriation of some members of al-Baghdadi’s family, who had been detained in Turkey.

Al-Baghdadi was known to have four wives. More than a week after his death in 2019, Turkey said it had captured one of his wives and other family members.

Iraq court sentences a widow of ISIL leader al-Baghdadi to death

The woman was charged with collaborating with ISIL and keeping kidnapped Yazidi women in her home in Mosul.

www.aljazeera.com