Donald Trump tvitret i nat at “noget stort har sket”. Amerikanske soldater skal have dræbt IS-lederen Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi i Idlib-provinsen i Syrien.

Trump skal senere søndag tale til nasjonen.

Det skal have været en omfattende operation med brug af helikoptre, krigsfly og bakkestyrker.

Amerikanerne fik såkaldt “actionable” efterrætning. Al-Baghdadi skal have forsøgt at smugle sin familie ud af Syrien til Tyrkiet. Operationen fant sted i landsbyen Berisha helt på grænsen til Tyrkiet.

Irakiske og iranske sikkerhedskilder bekræfter at al-Baghdadi er dræbt.

Two Iraqi security sources and two Iranian officials said they had received confirmation from inside Syria that Baghdadi had been killed.

“Our sources from inside Syria have confirmed to the Iraqi intelligence team tasked with pursuing Baghdadi that he has been killed alongside his personal bodyguard in Idlib after his hiding place was discovered when he tried to get his family out of Idlib towards the Turkish border,” one of the Iraqi officials said.

Heller ikke Iran og Irak ønsker at IS skal genopstå.