President Trump announced Tuesday that the likely successor of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elusive leader of ISIS who died during a U.S. military raid in northern Syria over the weekend, has also been killed. “Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops,” Trump tweeted. “Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!” When U.S. Special Operations Forces cleared Baghdadi’s compound, they also killed “a number” of ISIS fighters, Trump noted in a press conference Sunday. The White House has not clarified who the likely successor was, or when they died. Baghdadi fled into an underground tunnel during the raid, was chased by military dogs, and then detonated a suicide vest, killing himself, Trump and other U.S. officials said. According to a State Department official, a Sunday airstrike following the raid killed ISIS spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, but it is not clear whether he is the successor Trump is referring to.
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