Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State, or ISIS, was targeted in a raid led by U.S. military special operations and is believed to have been killed in the attack, Newsweek first reported Saturday night. His death could not be immediately confirmed.
The latest from CNN's @rabrowne75: "The US military targeted the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a raid in northwest Syria on Saturday, according to a senior US defense official. The CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, the official said."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 27, 2019
Why it matters: Baghdadi was regarded by many as the world’s most-wanted man. He had evaded capture for years amid tight security, per the BBC.
- Just last month, an audio message from Baghdadi emerged in which he called on followers to redouble efforts to further the mission of ISIS in an effort to boost the extremist group after it lost control of territories in Iraq and Syria this year.
What they're saying: A "well-placed military source" told Fox News that a "high value ISIS target" believed to be Baghdadi was "killed by U.S.-led forces in Idlib, Syria." A U.S. Army official "briefed on the results of the operation" told Newsweek that the person killed during the raid was Baghdadi.
- The reports surfaced soon after President Trump posted a cryptic tweet at 9:23 p.m. saying something "very big has just happened!" and the White House said it would make a "major statement" on Sunday at 9 a.m.
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
