Last hours of IS leader al-Baghdadi
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LEB.
Aleppo 
Raqqa 
TURKEY 
IRAQ
SYRIA 
Baghuz 
Damascus
Al-Asad 
Baghdad
Barisha
Idlib
Mosul
Samarra

Maximum extent of IS caliphate in 2014  
Jihadist controlled

100km 60 miles
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May 2019: Joint U.S., Turkish and Iraqi operation captures senior IS leaders. Under CIA interrogation they reveal Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s location in jihadist controlled area of Syria’s Idlib province
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Oct 24: White House learns there is “high probability” that al-Baghdadi is at a compound near Barisha village
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Oct 25: Military options are given to President Donald Trump
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Oct 26: Trump administration assesses “actionable intelligence”
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17:00: Trump enters Situation Room (below) to watch raid in real time via video link. Delta Force commandos in eight helicopters – mostly CH-47 Chinooks – take off from Al-Asad airbase in Iraq
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24:00: Helicopters arrive at Barisha. U.S. special forces attack building. Al-Baghdadi flees into network of underground bunkers and tunnels
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Pursued by U.S. forces and their dogs, al-Baghdadi ignites his suicide vest, killing himself and three children. Tunnel caves in on him
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Oct 27, 01:00: Troops dig through debris to recover body parts. Technicians conduct onsite DNA test and positively identify al-Baghdadi
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Troops remain in compound for two hours and recover material about Islamic State group
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03:00: Troops leave. U.S. fighter jets fire six rockets at compound, levelling it
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Sources: Associated Press, Reuters
Pictures: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS