News with Video

NEW YORK (77 WABC) – The Pentagon released video footage on Wednesday of the raid that took out ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.  The footage was taken from a U.S. military aircraft that was flying above Baghdadi’s Syrian compound.

“Here we see the object of the assault-the compound where Baghdadi was hiding. As I noted earlier, this isolated compound was in Idlib province in Northwest Syria” – Gen Frank McKenzie CDR USCENTCOM pic.twitter.com/VwxRJMN0rS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 30, 2019

U.S. Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. who is the commander of the U.S. Central Command described the operation of how ground troops dealt with adults and children exiting the compound.

“With the assault force surrounding the compound, we repeatedly urged those inside to come out peacefully.”

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 30, 2019

McKenzie reported that a total of 5 ISIS members which included 4 men and 1 woman who were a threat to the operation were killed inside the compound.  As the U.S. troops closed in on Baghdadi after he ran into a tunnel, McKenzie clarified that he used his suicide vest to blow himself along with two young children who were by his side.

The U.S. Central Command reported that Baghdadi’s remains were buried at sea.