Videos of a possible raid conducted by the US military in northwest Syria where the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has reportedly been killed are circulating the Internet. But are those videos legitimate?
Eyewitness filmed last night in #Barisha confirms children were on scene. #HTS security questioned him shortly after #Baghdadi #Idlib raid.
— Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) October 27, 2019
'Those 3 children are ur respnsblty now.They're his kids [dead man] They stripped them all [Corpses]. I'm told were shot with automatics' pic.twitter.com/yrVWsqYI05
البغدادي يعتقد أنه كان متواجدا عند مقتله في قرية باريشا بريف إدلب شمال غربي سوريا. القرية تبعد حوالي 5 كلم فقط عن الحدود مع تركيا.
— إبراهيم عرب Ibrahim Arab (@IbrahimArab) October 27, 2019
pic.twitter.com/UwR0fs9x6l
Translation: “Al-Baghdadi is believed to have been killed in the village of Barisha in Idlib’s countryside in northwestern Syria. The village is only 5 km from the border with Turkey.”
Activists are sharing footage of bombing and shelling which allegedly took place at night in the village of Barisha in the Syrian province of Idlib, where it is said that al-Baghdadi was killed.
Another (graphic) video being shared by activists appears to show a van targeted in Idlib allegedly during the raid which targeted #Baghdadi. Three men, three women and one child reportedly killed according to locals in Barisha pic.twitter.com/5tBHKcjG2X
— Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid) October 27, 2019
Baghdadi, the leader of the terror group, has been in hiding for the last five years. In April, a video was published by an ISIS media wing that showed a man purporting to be Baghdadi. It was the first time Baghdadi had been seen since July 2014, when he spoke at the Great Mosque in Mosul.
الفيديو هو للعملية التي استهدفت باريشا في أدلب قبل ساعات والتي قالت نيوزويك الأمريكية انها أدت لمقتل البغدادي .المنطقة المستهدفة تضم مقرات لجماعات مسلحة والتي وبحسب محللين تستفيد من القرب من الحدود مع تركيا لتقليل خطر التعرض للهجوم.
— حسينة اوشان (@hassinaouch) October 27, 2019
وفقا للسكان المحليين استمرت العملية نحو 3ساعات pic.twitter.com/66IhHxJt5P
Translation: “The video is the attack on Barisha in Idlib hours ago, which allegedly led to al-Baghdadi's death. According to local residents, the operation lasted about three hours.”
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 at which point Baghdadi said his group would be known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
ISIL leader Abu Bakr al #Baghdadi is dead. US JSOC op reportedly targeted him in north west Syria close to the Turkish border. He blew himself up and forensic tests are underway. US president is during to make an announcement at 13GMT pic.twitter.com/Ae00A1ubYh
— Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid) October 27, 2019
Trump joined the conversation by tweeting, "something very big has just happened!" The US President is scheduled to make a major announcement later in the day, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley announced.
Trump 2012 : stop congratulating Obama for killing Bin Laden..
— Oskaer (@Oskaer__13) October 27, 2019
Trump Tomorrow : ‘How can they impeach me, I killed Baghdadi..’#Baghdadi pic.twitter.com/A1uxj3QOMq