This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
On October 27, 2019, US President Donald Trump announced that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the world's number one terrorist leader, had been killed in a daring nighttime raid on his compound in northern Syria.
Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, had been on the US government's most wanted list for years.
According to Trump, Baghdadi killed himself when he was cornered by US forces, who conducted a two-hour operation to capture or kill him.
Trump revealed that the operation began on Saturday evening, with helicopters carrying teams of elite US troops flying to the compound, where they met with local gunfire but the US aircraft returned fire and eliminated the threat.
US forces breached a booby trap at the entrance and killed many ISIS fighters during a gun battle while clearing the compound, capturing two fighters and taking 11 children into custody.
Trump reported that Baghdadi, who was wearing a suicide vest, took refuge in a dead-end tunnel with three children.
"He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children. His body was mutilated by the blast. The tunnel had caved in on it in addition," Trump said.
US teams on the ground brought body parts back, and DNA tests confirmed Baghdadi's identity about 15 minutes after he was killed.
