Islamic State media channel to 'broadcast announcement soon' following death of former leader Baghdadi

The announcement will come in the wake of the death of its former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US commando raid over the weekend.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

30 October, 2019

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US commando raid [Getty]

The Islamic State's al-Furqan media wing will make an announcement soon, according to reports on social media.

The announcement will come in the wake of the death of its former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US commando raid over the weekend.

The operation on Baghdadi by US special forces in Syria took place Saturday, culminating in the death of the fugitive leader who at his peak headed an organisation that attempted to set up a hardline Islamic state across a huge area of Iraq and Syria.

The high-level IS media channel has been live for several hours prior, saying an announcement is forthcoming.

Pictures of the channel on social media show with the text: "Soon... God willing."

Analysts predict an announcement will be made on the death of Baghdadi and the name of his successor.

The media wing released a video of Baghdadi earlier this year in which he acknowledged IS' defeat in the Syrian town of Baghouz - ending the group's so-called "caliphate" - while Baghdadi threatened "revenge" attacks.

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The body of the Islamic State group leader was disposed of at sea by the US military after he killed himself during the raid, Pentagon sources said Monday.

Read more: Baghdadi may be dead, but the turmoil he thrived in lives on

Trump confirmed details published earlier, including reports Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children with a suicide vest as US special operations forces approached his position in Syria's Idlib region.

US forces killed a "large number" of IS militants during the raid which culminated in cornering Baghdadi in a tunnel, where he set off a suicide vest.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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