Donald Trump has confirmed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died as a result of a US Special Ops forces raid on his hideout in northwest Syria.
The POTUS said the terrorist leader ‘died like a dog’ in his statement from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.
‘He was the founder and leader of ISIS, the most ruthless and violent terror organisation anywhere in the world,’ he said, describing the events that lead to al-Baghdadi’s death.
Trump confirmed the ISIS leader detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and three children, during an overnight targeted attack in Syria’s Idlib province, CNN reports.
During his announcement, Trump went on to graphically describe al-Baghdadi’s death, saying:
I got to watch much of it. No personnel were lost in the operation, while a large number of Baghdadi’s fighters and companions were killed with him.
He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way. They were led to certain death.
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. But test results gave certain, immediate and totally positive identification. It was him. The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him.
Trump also said that although they’ve been looking for the ISIS leader for three years, he’s potentially the only one better at ‘using the internet’ than ISIS.
Speaking of the US intelligence services, he said:
A couple of weeks ago they were able to scope him out.
You know, these people are very smart, they are not into the use of cell phones anymore. They’re very technically brilliant.
You know, they use the internet better than almost anybody in the world, perhaps other than Donald Trump.
But they use the internet incredibly well and what they’ve done with the internet through recruiting and everything – and that is why he died like a dog, he died like a coward. He was whimpering, screaming and crying, and frankly I think it’s something that should be brought out so that his followers and all of these young kids that want to leave various countries – including the United States – they should see how he died.
He didn’t die a hero, he died a coward – crying, whimpering, and screaming and bringing three kids with him to die. Certain death.
Bakr al-Baghdadi has been at the top of the US and Europe’s most wanted list following his call to arms in 2014, which saw a move away from mass casualty attacks carried out by al-Qaeda, in favour of smaller, lone wolf acts of violence.
He had been far less visible in recent years, thanks to a £19.5 million ($25m) bounty on his head, only releasing sporadic audio recordings, including one last month in which he called on members of the extremist group to do all they could to free ISIS detainees and women held in jails and camps.
Rest in peace to those innocent children who lost their lives when al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.