Last Sunday, October 27th, President Donald Trump announced that ISIS leader and one of the world’s most wanted men, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed during a U.S military raid in Syria. 

“Something very big has just happened,” teased President Trump via Twitter prior to the formal announcement of Baghdadi’s death.

Baghdadi was said to be the leader of ISIS for around ten years and oversaw the thousands of fighters who have pledged their allegiance to the terror group who have wreaked havoc on the Middle East and the rest of the world. 

The group was first splintered off of the infamous terror group al Qaeda, and eventually spread across Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and multiple other Middle Eastern countries. It was supposedly formed in 1999, but really did not find traction until around 2014. 

The raid, which lasted two hours, happened on Saturday, October 26th, in the Idlib province, which is located in northwestern Syria. Baghdadi’s compound was infiltrated by U.S forces, which included a heroic dog. A small squadron of eight helicopters flew the elite troops into the highly dangerous area.  

U.S forces arrived at the compound where they fought and killed multiple ISIS fighters and eventually found Baghdadi. It was reported that a Belgian Malinois named Conan chased Baghdadi into a dead-end tunnel where Baghdadi eventually blew himself and two children up. 

“Last night was a great night for the United States and for the world.  A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated.  He will never again harm another innocent man, woman, or child. He died like a dog. He died like a coward.  The world is now a much safer place” said President Trump in regards to the killing of Baghdadi. 

The heroic dog, Conan, has since been praised by fellow Americans and even President Trump posted a photoshopped image of himself decorating the dog with the Medal of Honor. The other troops who were apart of the raid were also congratulated and honored. 

The killing of Baghdadi was a large step in weakening the ISIS caliphate and it was even reported that a potential successor to Baghdadi was also killed in a separate attack. These attacks will most definitely hinder the further strengthening of the terror group and most definitely a step in the right direction.