Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly killed himself and three of his children when he detonated a suicide vest in a dead-end tunnel during a U.S. raid.
Trump confirmed that al-Baghdadi, “the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader,” is dead, according to CNN. In a statement, Trump said the ISIS leader’s removal was “the top national security priority of my administration.”
The president also confirmed that there were no U.S. deaths during the raid. Several ISIS fighters were killed, including two women wearing bomb vests and the three aforementioned children.
“He was a sick and depraved man,” the president said, according to NBC News. “And now he’s gone.”
Sources tell NBC News that the U.S. Special Ops mission targeted al-Baghdadi near Barisha, Syria.
Al-Baghdadi has led ISIS since 2010 and has long been a target for the U.S. government.
“The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, panic and dread, terrified of the American forces coming down on him,” Trump said. {eoa}
