<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-assad-says-he-does-not-want-turkey-as-an-enemy-259172">Turkish</a> and Russian troops began conducting their first joint ground patrols in northeast Syria on Friday, a Turkish military source told Reuters.

Ankara and Moscow had agreed to conduct joint patrols in the region under a deal struck by President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Erdogan said on Wednesday the patrols would be at a depth of 7 km in Syrian territory.

In September, the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meeting in Ankara&nbsp;agreed to try to ease tensions in northwest Syria's Idlib region, but disagreements between the countries appeared to linger, especially over the threat from Islamic State.

The summit of the three countries,&nbsp;all of whom have allies fighting in Syria's ruinous eight-year-old war,&nbsp;aimed to find a lasting truce in Syria.&nbsp;

Recent attacks by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-releases-18-syrian-troops-after-talks-with-russia-259170">Syrian government</a> forces risk deepening regional turmoil and pushing a new wave of migrants towards Turkey.

"We are in a period when we need to take more responsibility for peace in Syria, when we (three countries) need to carry more weight," Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that all three leaders were in agreement that a political solution was necessary to end the crisis in Syria.

Turkish and Russian troops began conducting their first joint ground patrols in northeast Syria on Friday, a Turkish military source told Reuters. Ankara and Moscow had agreed to conduct joint patrols in the region under a deal struck by President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Turkish and Russian troops began conducting their first joint ground patrols in northeast Syria on Friday, a Turkish military source told Reuters. Ankara and Moscow had agreed to conduct joint patrols in the region under a deal struck by President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Erdogan said on Wednesday the patrols would be at a depth of 7 km in Syrian territory. In September, the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meeting in Ankara agreed to try to ease tensions in northwest Syria's Idlib region, but disagreements between the countries appeared to linger, especially over the threat from Islamic State. The summit of the three countries, all of whom have allies fighting in Syria's ruinous eight-year-old war, aimed to find a lasting truce in Syria. Recent attacks by Syrian government forces risk deepening regional turmoil and pushing a new wave of migrants towards Turkey. "We are in a period when we need to take more responsibility for peace in Syria, when we (three countries) need to carry more weight," Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that all three leaders were in agreement that a political solution was necessary to end the crisis in Syria.

Turkey, Russia begin joint patrols in northern Syria: Report

Turkey is in talks with Russia about the return of 18 people understood to be <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-chief-hails-landmark-meeting-on-syria-constitution-259084">Syrian regime troops</a>, Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.&nbsp;

"The delivery of 18 people found to be regime members is being discussed with the Russians at the moment," Akar said in comments carried on the defence ministry's Twitter account.

He added that two of the 18 had been treated in a Turkish hospital.

The troops in question were captured by Turkey on Tuesday in the vicinity of the key border town of Ras al-Ain during reconnaissance activities.

Turkish authorities then investigated if their claims of being regime troops were accurate.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Turkey would never allow Syrian Kurdish fighters viewed as "terrorists" by Ankara to stay on the Syria-Turkish border wearing "regime clothes."

Over the past month, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-conducts-first-northeast-syria-border-patrol-since-pullback-259067">Turkey has struck deals with the United States</a> and Russia to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters from areas along its border with Syria, with a view to setting up a "safe zone" where it plans to repatriate some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees Turkey is currently hosting.

Ankara considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria a terror group linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Kurdish insurgent group outlawed in Turkey.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols are due to start in areas near the Syrian border on Friday, after the Kremlin said Tuesday that Syrian Kurdish fighters had withdrawn in accordance with the terms of a deal between Ankara and Moscow.

Turkey is in talks with Russia about the return of 18 people understood to be Syrian regime troops, Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday. "The delivery of 18 people found to be regime members is being discussed with the Russians at the moment," Akar said in comments carried on the defence ministry's Twitter account.

Turkey is in talks with Russia about the return of 18 people understood to be Syrian regime troops, Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday. "The delivery of 18 people found to be regime members is being discussed with the Russians at the moment," Akar said in comments carried on the defence ministry's Twitter account. He added that two of the 18 had been treated in a Turkish hospital. The troops in question were captured by Turkey on Tuesday in the vicinity of the key border town of Ras al-Ain during reconnaissance activities. Turkish authorities then investigated if their claims of being regime troops were accurate. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Turkey would never allow Syrian Kurdish fighters viewed as "terrorists" by Ankara to stay on the Syria-Turkish border wearing "regime clothes." Over the past month, Turkey has struck deals with the United States and Russia to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters from areas along its border with Syria, with a view to setting up a "safe zone" where it plans to repatriate some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees Turkey is currently hosting. Ankara considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria a terror group linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Kurdish insurgent group outlawed in Turkey. Joint Turkish-Russian patrols are due to start in areas near the Syrian border on Friday, after the Kremlin said Tuesday that Syrian Kurdish fighters had withdrawn in accordance with the terms of a deal between Ankara and Moscow.

Turkey says discussing return of 18 Syrian troops with Russia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution. &nbsp;

On Wednesday, the two sides sat face-to-face in Geneva for the launch of the constitutional review committee's work.

"Yesterday's first meeting of the Constitutional Committee was a landmark, a foundation for progress," Guterres told a conference on mediation in Istanbul organized by the Turkish government.

"I hope this will be the first step towards a political solution that will end this tragic chapter in the lives of the Syrian people, also to create the opportunity for all Syrians to return to their places of origin, in safety and dignity, to end their status as refugees," he said.

The United Nations-brokered committee includes 150 delegates,&nbsp;divided equally among President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition and civil society.

However, there is little hope that the process can achieve a breakthrough in reaching a political solution to the conflict which has claimed more than 370,000 lives over the past eight years.

Experts have argued that Assad,&nbsp;&nbsp;whose forces have made major gains against the opposition,&nbsp;has little to lose at the talks and will walk away before making any significant compromises.

Guterres also said that he remained "very concerned about the situation in Idlib",&nbsp;a region of around three million residents of whom half are displaced people from other parts of the country. It is the last major rebel bastion in Syria.

Last week Assad said that winning the Idlib front would be key to winning the war and that his troops had completed preparations for an offensive.

Guterres added that he was repeating his "call for maximum restraint, de-escalation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure on all fronts in Syria".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution. On Wednesday, the two sides sat face-to-face in Geneva for the launch of the constitutional review committee's work. "Yesterday's first meeting of the Constitutional Committee was a landmark, a foundation for progress," Guterres told a conference on mediation in Istanbul organized by the Turkish government. "I hope this will be the first step towards a political solution that will end this tragic chapter in the lives of the Syrian people, also to create the opportunity for all Syrians to return to their places of origin, in safety and dignity, to end their status as refugees," he said. The United Nations-brokered committee includes 150 delegates, divided equally among President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition and civil society. However, there is little hope that the process can achieve a breakthrough in reaching a political solution to the conflict which has claimed more than 370,000 lives over the past eight years. Experts have argued that Assad, whose forces have made major gains against the opposition, has little to lose at the talks and will walk away before making any significant compromises. Guterres also said that he remained "very concerned about the situation in Idlib", a region of around three million residents of whom half are displaced people from other parts of the country. It is the last major rebel bastion in Syria. Last week Assad said that winning the Idlib front would be key to winning the war and that his troops had completed preparations for an offensive. Guterres added that he was repeating his "call for maximum restraint, de-escalation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure on all fronts in Syria".

United Nations chief hails 'landmark' meeting on Syria constitution

United States&nbsp;forces patrolled part of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-army-turkish-force-clash-near-border-report-258885">Syria's border with Turkey</a> on Thursday in the first such move since Washington withdrew troops from the area earlier this month, an&nbsp;AFP correspondent reported.

Five armoured vehicles bearing US flags patrolled a strip of the frontier north of the town of Qahtaniyah, an area where regime forces were expected to deploy as part of a deal with Turkey, the correspondent said.

The patrol was accompanied by Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main US ally in the years-long battle against the Islamic State group.

US forces used to patrol the section of the border north of Qahtaniyah before Washington announced its pullback on October 6.&nbsp;

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it is part of an eastern stretch of the frontier where US forces are seeking to maintain a presence.&nbsp;

"They want to prevent Russia and the regime from reaching parts of the border that lie east of the city of Qamishli," the de-facto capital of Syria's Kurdish minority, Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said.

The patrol follows the arrival of US reinforcements in Syria from neighbouring Iraq in recent days, in what has been seen as a reversal of US President Donald Trump's pullout order.

Washington has begun reinforcing positions in Deir Ezzor province with extra military assets in coordination with the SDF to prevent the Islamic State group and other actors from gaining access to oil fields in the area, a US defence official has said.

The Turkish army and its Syrian proxies launched an offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria on October 9 with the aim of creating a buffer zone.

The invasion left hundreds dead and displaced tens of thousands, prompting Ankara and Moscow to hold a summit in Sochi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-kurdish-withdrawal-in-northeast-syria-complete-258817">Under the deal signed in the Russian Black Sea resort</a>, Turkey is to assume control over one 120 kilometre&nbsp;wide section in the centre of the border, while Syrian government forces are to deploy in sections to the east and west.

Along the whole length of the border, a 10-kilometre-deep buffer zone is to be created on the Syrian side which will be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops.&nbsp;

United States forces patrolled part of Syria's border with Turkey on Thursday in the first such move since Washington withdrew troops from the area earlier this month, an AFP correspondent reported.

United States forces patrolled part of Syria's border with Turkey on Thursday in the first such move since Washington withdrew troops from the area earlier this month, an AFP correspondent reported. Five armoured vehicles bearing US flags patrolled a strip of the frontier north of the town of Qahtaniyah, an area where regime forces were expected to deploy as part of a deal with Turkey, the correspondent said. The patrol was accompanied by Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main US ally in the years-long battle against the Islamic State group. US forces used to patrol the section of the border north of Qahtaniyah before Washington announced its pullback on October 6. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it is part of an eastern stretch of the frontier where US forces are seeking to maintain a presence. "They want to prevent Russia and the regime from reaching parts of the border that lie east of the city of Qamishli," the de-facto capital of Syria's Kurdish minority, Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said. The patrol follows the arrival of US reinforcements in Syria from neighbouring Iraq in recent days, in what has been seen as a reversal of US President Donald Trump's pullout order. Washington has begun reinforcing positions in Deir Ezzor province with extra military assets in coordination with the SDF to prevent the Islamic State group and other actors from gaining access to oil fields in the area, a US defence official has said. The Turkish army and its Syrian proxies launched an offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria on October 9 with the aim of creating a buffer zone. The invasion left hundreds dead and displaced tens of thousands, prompting Ankara and Moscow to hold a summit in Sochi. Under the deal signed in the Russian Black Sea resort, Turkey is to assume control over one 120 kilometre wide section in the centre of the border, while Syrian government forces are to deploy in sections to the east and west. Along the whole length of the border, a 10-kilometre-deep buffer zone is to be created on the Syrian side which will be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops.

United States conducts first Northeast Syria border patrol since pullback

At least&nbsp;eight&nbsp;people were killed on Thursday when a&nbsp;car&nbsp;bomb exploded in a busy market in the northwest Syrian city of&nbsp;Afrin, under control of Turkey-backed rebel groups, witnesses and a rescuer said.

They said the&nbsp;blast&nbsp;also wounded at least 30.

The&nbsp;Turkish&nbsp;military helped by its Syrian rebel allies seized&nbsp;Afrin, a mainly Kurdish city, from the Kurdish YPG militia in March 2018 in a major offensive.

Turkish&nbsp;forces have since&nbsp;carved out a buffer zone inside northern Syria that extends along most of the countries'&nbsp;border.

Videos posted on social media showed extensive damage to the market area with fires burning. Reuters could not immediately vouch for their authenticity.

Similar&nbsp;car&nbsp;blasts frequently hit crowded civilian areas in the mainly Arab populated towns&nbsp;near&nbsp;the&nbsp;border&nbsp;with Turkey under the control of&nbsp;Turkish-backed forces.

Residents and rebels in the rebel-held northwest blame the YPG for the attacks.

The Kurdish-led forces say they are engaged in a guerrilla campaign against&nbsp;Turkish&nbsp;forces but deny they target civilians.

Turkish&nbsp;forces launched their offensive inside Syria this month with a view to setting up a safe zone in mainly Arab populated&nbsp;border&nbsp;areas east of the Euphrates that the Kurdish-led forces control. It has pushed Kurdish fighters out of parts of the strip.

At least eight people were killed on Thursday when a car bomb exploded in a busy market in the northwest Syrian city of Afrin, under control of Turkey-backed rebel groups, witnesses and a rescuer said.

At least eight people were killed on Thursday when a car bomb exploded in a busy market in the northwest Syrian city of Afrin, under control of Turkey-backed rebel groups, witnesses and a rescuer said. They said the blast also wounded at least 30. The Turkish military helped by its Syrian rebel allies seized Afrin, a mainly Kurdish city, from the Kurdish YPG militia in March 2018 in a major offensive. Turkish forces have since carved out a buffer zone inside northern Syria that extends along most of the countries' border. Videos posted on social media showed extensive damage to the market area with fires burning. Reuters could not immediately vouch for their authenticity. Similar car blasts frequently hit crowded civilian areas in the mainly Arab populated towns near the border with Turkey under the control of Turkish-backed forces. Residents and rebels in the rebel-held northwest blame the YPG for the attacks. The Kurdish-led forces say they are engaged in a guerrilla campaign against Turkish forces but deny they target civilians. Turkish forces launched their offensive inside Syria this month with a view to setting up a safe zone in mainly Arab populated border areas east of the Euphrates that the Kurdish-led forces control. It has pushed Kurdish fighters out of parts of the strip.

Car blast kills eight in Syria's Afrin, near Turkish border

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-kurdish-withdrawal-in-northeast-syria-complete-258817">Syrian army troops</a> clashed with Turkish forces near the border town of Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported, as Ankara said it reserved the right to launch another cross-border offensive against Kurdish YPG militia.

The state media gave no details but Turkish-backed rebels said similar, intermittent clashes had occurred in recent days with Syrian troops south of the town, which Turkey seized from Syrian Kurdish-led forces earlier this month.

The report underscores the risk that violence in northeast Syria could rekindle after Ankara and Moscow struck a deal a week ago in which Russia agreed to move the YPG at least 30 km&nbsp;south of the border by late on Tuesday.

As part of the deal, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-largely-reached-agreement-with-russia-in-syria-talks-report-258801">Syrian troops have with the agreement of Kurdish forces</a> headed north to take up positions in a region Damascus has not controlled since early on in the country's eight-and-a-half-year-old war.

In Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan told lawmakers from his AK Party that Turkey has information the YPG has not completed its pull-out, despite assurances from Russia that they had left ahead of the deal's deadline.

"Even though the information in our hands suggests this has not been succeeded in a full sense, we will give our response to them after our field assessments," he said, adding Turkey reserved the right to return to military operations against the YPG in the area.

Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organisation because of its links to Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey and aims to establish a "safe zone" in northern Syria cleared of the YPG.

The YPG is the main component in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that fought for years alongside US&nbsp;forces to shatter the declared "caliphate" of Islamic State militants that spanned a swathe of northern and eastern Syria.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-kurdish-ypg-still-in-syria-border-area-as-deadline-looms-258685">Turkish-backed forces</a> crossed the border into northeast Syria on October&nbsp;9 to attack the YPG after President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of US. forces there a few days earlier, drawing international condemnation of Ankara.

Trump's decision has been condemned in Washington by Democrats and his fellow Republicans alike for abandoning Kurdish fighters who helped rout Islamic State.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted decisively to sanction Turkey, a NATO ally.

Joint Russian-Turkish patrols had been set to begin on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km&nbsp;inside northern Syria, but Erdogan said they would begin on Friday and at a depth of just 7 km.

"If we see that the members of the terrorist organisation have not been moved out of the 30 km, or if attacks continue, no matter from where, we reserve our right to carry out our own operation," Erdogan said.

On Tuesday, the Turkey-backed Syrian rebels said they had captured an undisclosed number of Syrian army soldiers near Tel Hawa, in the countryside around Ras al-Ain. A spokesman for the rebels said that the YPG had not fully withdrawn from the border area and that a new round of clashes was expected.

Some 300,000 people have been displaced by Turkey's offensive and 120 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.

The US&nbsp;House voted 403-16 for a resolution calling on Trump to impose sanctions and other restrictions on Turkey and Turkish officials over its offensive in Syria.

In Geneva, Assad's government condemned what it called the occupation of its land while the Syrian opposition demanded justice at the opening of a U.N.-backed panel meant to usher in reconciliation, political reforms and free and fair elections as a basis for lasting peace.

Syrian army troops clashed with Turkish forces near the border town of Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported, as Ankara said it reserved the right to launch another cross-border offensive against Kurdish YPG militia.

Syrian army troops clashed with Turkish forces near the border town of Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported, as Ankara said it reserved the right to launch another cross-border offensive against Kurdish YPG militia. The state media gave no details but Turkish-backed rebels said similar, intermittent clashes had occurred in recent days with Syrian troops south of the town, which Turkey seized from Syrian Kurdish-led forces earlier this month. The report underscores the risk that violence in northeast Syria could rekindle after Ankara and Moscow struck a deal a week ago in which Russia agreed to move the YPG at least 30 km south of the border by late on Tuesday. As part of the deal, Syrian troops have with the agreement of Kurdish forces headed north to take up positions in a region Damascus has not controlled since early on in the country's eight-and-a-half-year-old war. In Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan told lawmakers from his AK Party that Turkey has information the YPG has not completed its pull-out, despite assurances from Russia that they had left ahead of the deal's deadline. "Even though the information in our hands suggests this has not been succeeded in a full sense, we will give our response to them after our field assessments," he said, adding Turkey reserved the right to return to military operations against the YPG in the area. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organisation because of its links to Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey and aims to establish a "safe zone" in northern Syria cleared of the YPG. The YPG is the main component in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that fought for years alongside US forces to shatter the declared "caliphate" of Islamic State militants that spanned a swathe of northern and eastern Syria. Turkish-backed forces crossed the border into northeast Syria on October 9 to attack the YPG after President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of US. forces there a few days earlier, drawing international condemnation of Ankara. Trump's decision has been condemned in Washington by Democrats and his fellow Republicans alike for abandoning Kurdish fighters who helped rout Islamic State. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted decisively to sanction Turkey, a NATO ally. Joint Russian-Turkish patrols had been set to begin on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km inside northern Syria, but Erdogan said they would begin on Friday and at a depth of just 7 km. "If we see that the members of the terrorist organisation have not been moved out of the 30 km, or if attacks continue, no matter from where, we reserve our right to carry out our own operation," Erdogan said. On Tuesday, the Turkey-backed Syrian rebels said they had captured an undisclosed number of Syrian army soldiers near Tel Hawa, in the countryside around Ras al-Ain. A spokesman for the rebels said that the YPG had not fully withdrawn from the border area and that a new round of clashes was expected. Some 300,000 people have been displaced by Turkey's offensive and 120 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. The US House voted 403-16 for a resolution calling on Trump to impose sanctions and other restrictions on Turkey and Turkish officials over its offensive in Syria. In Geneva, Assad's government condemned what it called the occupation of its land while the Syrian opposition demanded justice at the opening of a U.N.-backed panel meant to usher in reconciliation, political reforms and free and fair elections as a basis for lasting peace.

Syrian army, Turkish force clash near border: Report

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that armed Kurdish forces had withdrawn from a safe zone near the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-largely-reached-agreement-with-russia-in-syria-talks-report-258801">north-eastern Syrian</a> border with Turkey faster than scheduled.

''The withdrawal of armed forces from the territory where a safety corridor is supposed to be created has been completed ahead of schedule. Syrian border guards and our military police have entered the area", Shoigu said.

A 150-hour deadline set by Ankara and Moscow at a meeting between President Putin and President Erdogan expired at 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organisation because of its links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey and attacked the US-allied YPG following US President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 American forces from northern Syria in early October.

Talks between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-kurdish-ypg-still-in-syria-border-area-as-deadline-looms-258685">Turkish and Russian officials</a> on developments in northeast Syria had concluded and the two delegations had "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the Syrian Kurdish YPG had left a planned "safe zone" within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that armed Kurdish forces had withdrawn from a safe zone near the north-eastern Syrian border with Turkey faster than scheduled.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that armed Kurdish forces had withdrawn from a safe zone near the north-eastern Syrian border with Turkey faster than scheduled. ''The withdrawal of armed forces from the territory where a safety corridor is supposed to be created has been completed ahead of schedule. Syrian border guards and our military police have entered the area", Shoigu said. A 150-hour deadline set by Ankara and Moscow at a meeting between President Putin and President Erdogan expired at 1500 GMT on Tuesday. Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organisation because of its links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey and attacked the US-allied YPG following US President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 American forces from northern Syria in early October. Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria had concluded and the two delegations had "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the Syrian Kurdish YPG had left a planned "safe zone" within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols.

Russia says Kurdish withdrawal in northeast Syria complete

Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-kurdish-ypg-still-in-syria-border-area-as-deadline-looms-258685">Syrian Kurdish</a> YPG had left a planned "safe zone" within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols. 
 
Watch: Baghdadi killed in US operation in Syria

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-news-baghdadi-killed-in-us-operation-in-syria-258396/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Inter-delegation talks with Russia have concluded a short while ago. An agreement was largely reached. Our efforts continue in a mutually constructive, understanding way," Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.

Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the Syrian Kurdish YPG had left a planned "safe zone" within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols. Watch: Baghdadi killed in US operation in Syria "Inter-delegation talks with Russia have concluded a short while ago. An agreement was largely reached. Our efforts continue in a mutually constructive, understanding way," Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Turkey says "largely" reached agreement with Russia in Syria talks: Report

By Natasha Lindstaedt

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State (IS), is dead. After US special forces raided his safe house in Idlib province in north-west Syria, Baghdadi reportedly fled and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three of his children. Over the past several years, there have been constant reports of his death but up until now, none of these reports have been verified.

The death of Osama bin Laden in 2011 did not lead to the end of Al-Qaeda, but what does al-Baghdadi’s death mean for IS?

Al-Baghdadi was most likely born in the Iraqi city of Samarra in 1971. Though he was a poor student with bad eyesight, he rose to command al-Qaeda’s Iraqi division. He was captured by US forces in a raid in 2004 in Falluja, Iraq, but was not considered to be particularly important at the time. Few would predict that Al-Baghdadi would rise to such a position of power. He was not noted for being particularly charismatic or memorable.

By 2010, al-Baghdadi took control of the group that would be eventually called the Islamic State, a group whose predecessor was Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). AQI had been led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until he was killed in 2006. Under the helm of al-Zarqawi, AQI had become one of the region’s most brutal and effective insurgent groups, controlling the flow of resources and foreign fighters into Iraq. By 2007, the group had almost faded away, but by 2009 it was gaining support in Sunni tribal areas now known as the Islamic State in Iraq.

Split with Al-Qaeda

By the time al-Baghdadi took over, a rift had grown between the wider al-Qaeda group and IS, which had been simmering since al-Zarqawi led AQI. To al-Qaeda, Baghdadi was excessively violent and counter-productive to al-Qaeda’s objectives. Extravagant brutality such as beheading Muslims would alienate most Muslims. Al-Qaeda was also alarmed at IS’s predatory strategy of taking territory and resources from other rebel groups.

Al-Baghdadi, for his part, had no interest in subsuming IS under the wider leadership of al-Qaeda. He sent delegates (who were mostly of Syrian descent) into Syria after the Syrian war began in March 2011, a decision which al-Qaeda rejected. After repeated attempts by al-Qaeda to convince al-Baghdadi to move out of Syria, it officially cut its ties with him in February 2014.

Al-Baghdadi believed that al-Qaeda was ineffective, and had failed to set up an actual state.

Declaration of the caliphate

In June 2014, al-Baghdadi made his first public appearance delivering a sermon from a mosque in the recently captured city of Mosul, where he claimed to come from the same tribe as the prophet Muhammad. He also brazenly declared himself to be the caliph – or the political and religious leader of the Muslim community. Though this declaration was universally rejected by Islamic authorities, his plan of setting up a caliphate attracted thousands of foreign fighters to his cause.

At the height of al-Baghdadi’s power, IS had set up organisational structures across multiple countries and created a de facto state, the size of Belgium with 8m people living under its control. He established a brutal justice system, legalised slavery, collected taxes and provided a handful of public services.

While Bin Laden was more concerned with overthrowing modern Arab dictators, eliminating Israel and knocking over Western symbols of power, al-Baghdadi focused more on reviving the glory of the past. His dramatic vision for IS attracted those that wanted to be considered to be part of a line of warriors that extended back to the Prophet Muhammad.

Fall from power

By 2017, IS’s fortunes started to turn. It had inspired or helped to plan a series of terrorist attacks in Belgium, the US, France and Turkey that drew increasing resolve from the West to step up efforts to eliminate the group. Iraq’s forces also became more effective against IS, eventually retaking Mosul in 2017.

By March of 2019, IS surrendered its final territorial stronghold in Baghouz, Syria after extensive fighting with the mostly Kurdish, Syrian Democratic Forces. IS no longer had territory that it could lay claim to, and without territory, it could not claim to be a valid caliphate.

In an attempt to strengthen his standing, al-Baghdadi appeared in a video in April to demonstrate that the group could still exist, even if it lacked territory. He tried to energise his fighters to redouble their efforts. This would be only the second time that he would appear to the public.

His decision not to appear in person was about ensuring his own safety. Airstrikes had already caused a series of injuries. To avoid being caught, he never used mobile phones and frequently changed safe houses.

This makes his presence in Idlib province in Syria where he died somewhat surprising. The province is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist militia fiercely opposed to IS. The region is also currently under siege by Russian and Syrian forces.

What’s next for IS?

As I’ve argued in my own research, for most terrorist groups which are hierarchically organised, the death of a leader signals its demise. In fact most terrorist groups fall apart within a year of forming once the group has been decapitated. Terrorist groups that are larger and more cellular in structure, such as Al-Qaeda, have been able to weather the deaths of leaders, helping to explain the group’s longevity.

IS will likely name a successor to lead the group, and al-Baghdadi tried to prepare his followers that he would not live forever. But it could now start to operate in a way similar to Al-Qaeda with a cell-like structure, where it may attempt to plan terrorist attacks to signal its continued relevance to its followers. It needs to attract new numbers as it has seen its membership dwindle since its territory has disappeared.

The US decision to pull out of Syria has compromised the Kurds, who were managing detention centres holding captured IS fighters. The Turkish advance into Kurdish held territory in north-eastern Syria has led to the escape of several hundreds of IS fighters. The US, however, already claims it has gathered further intelligence from al-Baghdadi’s compound that will continue to weaken IS.

Studies of terrorist groups that have managed succession raise concerns that when one leader dies, the leadership that follows can be less disciplined, more violent and determined to exact revenge. Given Baghdadi’s penchant for brutality, it’s hard to imagine how that’s possible.

(Natasha Lindstaedt is Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/al-baghdadis-death-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-leader-of-islamic-state-125947">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Natasha Lindstaedt Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State (IS), is dead. After US special forces raided his safe house in Idlib province in north-west Syria, Baghdadi reportedly fled and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three of his children.

By Natasha Lindstaedt Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State (IS), is dead. After US special forces raided his safe house in Idlib province in north-west Syria, Baghdadi reportedly fled and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three of his children. Over the past several years, there have been constant reports of his death but up until now, none of these reports have been verified. The death of Osama bin Laden in 2011 did not lead to the end of Al-Qaeda, but what does al-Baghdadi’s death mean for IS? Al-Baghdadi was most likely born in the Iraqi city of Samarra in 1971. Though he was a poor student with bad eyesight, he rose to command al-Qaeda’s Iraqi division. He was captured by US forces in a raid in 2004 in Falluja, Iraq, but was not considered to be particularly important at the time. Few would predict that Al-Baghdadi would rise to such a position of power. He was not noted for being particularly charismatic or memorable. By 2010, al-Baghdadi took control of the group that would be eventually called the Islamic State, a group whose predecessor was Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). AQI had been led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until he was killed in 2006. Under the helm of al-Zarqawi, AQI had become one of the region’s most brutal and effective insurgent groups, controlling the flow of resources and foreign fighters into Iraq. By 2007, the group had almost faded away, but by 2009 it was gaining support in Sunni tribal areas now known as the Islamic State in Iraq. Split with Al-Qaeda By the time al-Baghdadi took over, a rift had grown between the wider al-Qaeda group and IS, which had been simmering since al-Zarqawi led AQI. To al-Qaeda, Baghdadi was excessively violent and counter-productive to al-Qaeda’s objectives. Extravagant brutality such as beheading Muslims would alienate most Muslims. Al-Qaeda was also alarmed at IS’s predatory strategy of taking territory and resources from other rebel groups. Al-Baghdadi, for his part, had no interest in subsuming IS under the wider leadership of al-Qaeda. He sent delegates (who were mostly of Syrian descent) into Syria after the Syrian war began in March 2011, a decision which al-Qaeda rejected. After repeated attempts by al-Qaeda to convince al-Baghdadi to move out of Syria, it officially cut its ties with him in February 2014. Al-Baghdadi believed that al-Qaeda was ineffective, and had failed to set up an actual state. Declaration of the caliphate In June 2014, al-Baghdadi made his first public appearance delivering a sermon from a mosque in the recently captured city of Mosul, where he claimed to come from the same tribe as the prophet Muhammad. He also brazenly declared himself to be the caliph – or the political and religious leader of the Muslim community. Though this declaration was universally rejected by Islamic authorities, his plan of setting up a caliphate attracted thousands of foreign fighters to his cause. At the height of al-Baghdadi’s power, IS had set up organisational structures across multiple countries and created a de facto state, the size of Belgium with 8m people living under its control. He established a brutal justice system, legalised slavery, collected taxes and provided a handful of public services. While Bin Laden was more concerned with overthrowing modern Arab dictators, eliminating Israel and knocking over Western symbols of power, al-Baghdadi focused more on reviving the glory of the past. His dramatic vision for IS attracted those that wanted to be considered to be part of a line of warriors that extended back to the Prophet Muhammad. Fall from power By 2017, IS’s fortunes started to turn. It had inspired or helped to plan a series of terrorist attacks in Belgium, the US, France and Turkey that drew increasing resolve from the West to step up efforts to eliminate the group. Iraq’s forces also became more effective against IS, eventually retaking Mosul in 2017. By March of 2019, IS surrendered its final territorial stronghold in Baghouz, Syria after extensive fighting with the mostly Kurdish, Syrian Democratic Forces. IS no longer had territory that it could lay claim to, and without territory, it could not claim to be a valid caliphate. In an attempt to strengthen his standing, al-Baghdadi appeared in a video in April to demonstrate that the group could still exist, even if it lacked territory. He tried to energise his fighters to redouble their efforts. This would be only the second time that he would appear to the public. His decision not to appear in person was about ensuring his own safety. Airstrikes had already caused a series of injuries. To avoid being caught, he never used mobile phones and frequently changed safe houses. This makes his presence in Idlib province in Syria where he died somewhat surprising. The province is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist militia fiercely opposed to IS. The region is also currently under siege by Russian and Syrian forces. What’s next for IS? As I’ve argued in my own research, for most terrorist groups which are hierarchically organised, the death of a leader signals its demise. In fact most terrorist groups fall apart within a year of forming once the group has been decapitated. Terrorist groups that are larger and more cellular in structure, such as Al-Qaeda, have been able to weather the deaths of leaders, helping to explain the group’s longevity. IS will likely name a successor to lead the group, and al-Baghdadi tried to prepare his followers that he would not live forever. But it could now start to operate in a way similar to Al-Qaeda with a cell-like structure, where it may attempt to plan terrorist attacks to signal its continued relevance to its followers. It needs to attract new numbers as it has seen its membership dwindle since its territory has disappeared. The US decision to pull out of Syria has compromised the Kurds, who were managing detention centres holding captured IS fighters. The Turkish advance into Kurdish held territory in north-eastern Syria has led to the escape of several hundreds of IS fighters. The US, however, already claims it has gathered further intelligence from al-Baghdadi’s compound that will continue to weaken IS. Studies of terrorist groups that have managed succession raise concerns that when one leader dies, the leadership that follows can be less disciplined, more violent and determined to exact revenge. Given Baghdadi’s penchant for brutality, it’s hard to imagine how that’s possible. (Natasha Lindstaedt is Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Al-Baghdadi’s death: The rise and fall of the leader of Islamic State

Thousands of the world's most wanted jihadists remain a security hot potato for Syria's Kurds, even after Washington announced the death of their elusive "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

A Turkish attack on northeastern Syria in early October sparked fears the Islamic State group suspects could break out en masse as their Kurdish guards were called up to the front.

A Turkish-Russian truce deal signed on October 22 has since largely halted that offensive, but the fate of suspected Baghdadi followers remains uncertain.

This is what we know:

How many

According to the Kurdish administration, there are around 12,000 suspected IS fighters in the custody of Kurdish security forces across northeastern Syria.

At least 2,500 of them are non-Iraqi foreigners of more than 50 different nationalities. Tunisia is thought to have the biggest contingent.

Officials in Paris say 60 to 70 French nationals are among those held.

The rest are around 4,000 Syrians and roughly the same number of Iraqis.&nbsp;

Where

The fighters, who were detained mostly in the course of operations led by Kurdish forces and backed by the US-led coalition against IS, are detained in at least seven facilities.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces do not reveal the exact locations but some of them are known, including in Roj, in Dashisha, Jerkin, Navkur and Derik.

Given the high value of some of the detainees, the security levels at these facilities is poor.

"They are only buildings" and not heavily fortified, said one top official.

Breakouts

After Baghdadi was announced killed on Sunday, SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi warned IS fighters still at large would seek revenge.

"This is why anything is possible, including attacks on prisons," he said.

His warning comes after dozens of IS prisoners were reported to have escaped when the long-threatened Turkish invasion became reality.

Last week, Washington's special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey told Congress "over 100" IS prisoners had escaped and their whereabouts were unknown.

On Friday, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Kurdish forces had managed to "recollect" dozens of IS prisoners who had escaped during the Turkish assault.

The Kurds had for months been saying that any offensive would make guarding foreign prisoners "a second priority".

Transfers

Turkey's invasion has lent some added urgency, however, to the search for a solution for these prisoners, whom the Kurds warn they cannot keep, let alone prosecute.

Western governments such as France have been reluctant to take them back, for lack of a clear legal framework and fears of a public backlash.

France and other governments have sought instead to transfer some of them to neighbouring Iraq.

Apparently anticipating the risk of jailbreaks, the United States took control of two of the most high-profile IS detainees in the early hours of the Turkish offensive and spirited them out of the country.

IS relatives

The detained fighters have thousands of relatives -- mostly women and children -- held in other facilities, such as the infamous Al-Hol camp, which is so overcrowded guards are struggling to control riots.

Another major facility housing so-called "IS families" is Ain Issa, which has found itself in the heart of the battlefield and from which around 800 people escaped in October, Kurdish authorities say.&nbsp;

Some of them are since thought to have been reintegrated in the camp, others to have crossed over to the Turkish side of the front line, and several to have joined up with IS cells operating in the area.

Resurgence?

Whether large-scale jailbreaks are prevented or not, any redeployment of SDF fighters away from the detention facilities would create a security vacuum for IS to fill in the area.

The past few months have seen an increase in the number and scope of attacks by IS sleeper cells, that never stopped being active after the jihadist group lost the final fragment of its once sprawling "caliphate" in March.

Thousands of the world's most wanted jihadists remain a security hot potato for Syria's Kurds, even after Washington announced the death of their elusive "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Thousands of the world's most wanted jihadists remain a security hot potato for Syria's Kurds, even after Washington announced the death of their elusive "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A Turkish attack on northeastern Syria in early October sparked fears the Islamic State group suspects could break out en masse as their Kurdish guards were called up to the front. A Turkish-Russian truce deal signed on October 22 has since largely halted that offensive, but the fate of suspected Baghdadi followers remains uncertain. This is what we know: How many According to the Kurdish administration, there are around 12,000 suspected IS fighters in the custody of Kurdish security forces across northeastern Syria. At least 2,500 of them are non-Iraqi foreigners of more than 50 different nationalities. Tunisia is thought to have the biggest contingent. Officials in Paris say 60 to 70 French nationals are among those held. The rest are around 4,000 Syrians and roughly the same number of Iraqis. Where The fighters, who were detained mostly in the course of operations led by Kurdish forces and backed by the US-led coalition against IS, are detained in at least seven facilities. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces do not reveal the exact locations but some of them are known, including in Roj, in Dashisha, Jerkin, Navkur and Derik. Given the high value of some of the detainees, the security levels at these facilities is poor. "They are only buildings" and not heavily fortified, said one top official. Breakouts After Baghdadi was announced killed on Sunday, SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi warned IS fighters still at large would seek revenge. "This is why anything is possible, including attacks on prisons," he said. His warning comes after dozens of IS prisoners were reported to have escaped when the long-threatened Turkish invasion became reality. Last week, Washington's special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey told Congress "over 100" IS prisoners had escaped and their whereabouts were unknown. On Friday, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Kurdish forces had managed to "recollect" dozens of IS prisoners who had escaped during the Turkish assault. The Kurds had for months been saying that any offensive would make guarding foreign prisoners "a second priority". Transfers Turkey's invasion has lent some added urgency, however, to the search for a solution for these prisoners, whom the Kurds warn they cannot keep, let alone prosecute. Western governments such as France have been reluctant to take them back, for lack of a clear legal framework and fears of a public backlash. France and other governments have sought instead to transfer some of them to neighbouring Iraq. Apparently anticipating the risk of jailbreaks, the United States took control of two of the most high-profile IS detainees in the early hours of the Turkish offensive and spirited them out of the country. IS relatives The detained fighters have thousands of relatives -- mostly women and children -- held in other facilities, such as the infamous Al-Hol camp, which is so overcrowded guards are struggling to control riots. Another major facility housing so-called "IS families" is Ain Issa, which has found itself in the heart of the battlefield and from which around 800 people escaped in October, Kurdish authorities say. Some of them are since thought to have been reintegrated in the camp, others to have crossed over to the Turkish side of the front line, and several to have joined up with IS cells operating in the area. Resurgence? Whether large-scale jailbreaks are prevented or not, any redeployment of SDF fighters away from the detention facilities would create a security vacuum for IS to fill in the area. The past few months have seen an increase in the number and scope of attacks by IS sleeper cells, that never stopped being active after the jihadist group lost the final fragment of its once sprawling "caliphate" in March.

IS prisoners in NE Syria: What we know

Kurdish YPG forces have still not fully withdrawn from a strip of land in northeast Syria from which Ankara says they must leave, Turkey's defence minister was quoted on Tuesday as saying, hours before a deadline for their removal expires.

Under an accord reached a week ago between the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Syrian border guards and Russian military police are meant to remove all YPG forces and their weapons from a 30 km (19 mile) band of territory south of the Turkish-Syrian border by 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday.

After that deadline, Russian and Turkish forces will start jointly to patrol a narrower, 10 km strip of land on the Syrian side of the border.

The deal, clinched in the Russian Black Sea town of Sochi, reinforced an existing US-brokered ceasefire that had halted Turkey's offensive, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, in northeast Syria targeting the YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist organisation linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey.

"It looks like the YPG terror organisation is still in the area of Operation Peace Spring," Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told the Sabah newspaper in an interview.

"This fight (against terrorism) is not over. We are aware that it will not end."

Asked about the joint patrols planned with Russian forces in the border area, Akar said: "The rules of engagement, (the question of) which vehicles are to be used, the authorities and directives are to be determined."

A Russian delegation is currently in Turkey for talks on the border patrols and wider security situation in northeast Syria.

Akar said there were still around 1,000 YPG fighters in the border town of Manbij and a further 1,000 in nearby Tel Rifat. The two towns are located to the west of the strip of territory that Turkey wants to turn into a "safe zone" but Syrian and Russian forces are also meant to clear them of YPG forces.

President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will act alone to clear northeast Syria of YPG forces if Russia fails to fulfil its obligations under the Sochi accord.

Turkey launched its offensive in northeast Syria after President Donald Trump said he was pulling 1,000 US military personnel from the area. Turkey's NATO allies, including the United States, have criticised Ankara's actions, fearing it will undermine the fight against Islamic State.

The YPG is the main component in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a key ally of the United States against the Islamic State militants.

Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as the key foreign power in Syria, its influence further bolstered by the withdrawal of US&nbsp;troops from the northeast.

Kurdish YPG forces have still not fully withdrawn from a strip of land in northeast Syria from which Ankara says they must leave, Turkey's defence minister was quoted on Tuesday as saying, hours before a deadline for their removal expires.

Kurdish YPG forces have still not fully withdrawn from a strip of land in northeast Syria from which Ankara says they must leave, Turkey's defence minister was quoted on Tuesday as saying, hours before a deadline for their removal expires. Under an accord reached a week ago between the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Syrian border guards and Russian military police are meant to remove all YPG forces and their weapons from a 30 km (19 mile) band of territory south of the Turkish-Syrian border by 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday. After that deadline, Russian and Turkish forces will start jointly to patrol a narrower, 10 km strip of land on the Syrian side of the border. The deal, clinched in the Russian Black Sea town of Sochi, reinforced an existing US-brokered ceasefire that had halted Turkey's offensive, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, in northeast Syria targeting the YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist organisation linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. "It looks like the YPG terror organisation is still in the area of Operation Peace Spring," Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told the Sabah newspaper in an interview. "This fight (against terrorism) is not over. We are aware that it will not end." Asked about the joint patrols planned with Russian forces in the border area, Akar said: "The rules of engagement, (the question of) which vehicles are to be used, the authorities and directives are to be determined." A Russian delegation is currently in Turkey for talks on the border patrols and wider security situation in northeast Syria. Akar said there were still around 1,000 YPG fighters in the border town of Manbij and a further 1,000 in nearby Tel Rifat. The two towns are located to the west of the strip of territory that Turkey wants to turn into a "safe zone" but Syrian and Russian forces are also meant to clear them of YPG forces. President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will act alone to clear northeast Syria of YPG forces if Russia fails to fulfil its obligations under the Sochi accord. Turkey launched its offensive in northeast Syria after President Donald Trump said he was pulling 1,000 US military personnel from the area. Turkey's NATO allies, including the United States, have criticised Ankara's actions, fearing it will undermine the fight against Islamic State. The YPG is the main component in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a key ally of the United States against the Islamic State militants. Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as the key foreign power in Syria, its influence further bolstered by the withdrawal of US troops from the northeast.

Turkey says Kurdish YPG still in Syria border area as deadline looms

The military dog slightly wounded in the US raid which resulted in the death of Islamic State&nbsp;leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/remains-of-islamic-state-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-buried-at-sea-us-official-258568">Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi</a> is recovering and back on duty, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.

General Mark Milley said the dog had performed a "tremendous service" during the special forces weekend assault in Syria that led to the death of the leader of the Islamic State group.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-kills-al-baghdadi-heres-how-it-unfolded-258558/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Announcing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russia-guarded-over-baghdadi-killing-world-leaders-say-fight-goes-on-258549">Baghdadi's death</a>, President Donald Trump said Sunday that the "beautiful" and "talented" dog had pursued the IS leader into a dark tunnel where he blew himself up with a suicide vest, killing himself and three children and wounding the dog.

Trump tweeted a picture of the dog on Monday, saying it did a "GREAT JOB."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! <a href="https://t.co/PDMx9nZWvw">pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1188909031403900928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He said the name of the dog has not been declassified yet.

Milley also declined to provide the dog's name or any further details about the canine.

"We're not releasing the name of the dog right now," the general said.

He said the dog had been "slightly wounded and is fully recovering."

"The dog is still in theater, returned to duty, with its handler," he said.

The military dog slightly wounded in the US raid which resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is recovering and back on duty, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.

The military dog slightly wounded in the US raid which resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is recovering and back on duty, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. General Mark Milley said the dog had performed a "tremendous service" during the special forces weekend assault in Syria that led to the death of the leader of the Islamic State group. Watch Video: Announcing Baghdadi's death, President Donald Trump said Sunday that the "beautiful" and "talented" dog had pursued the IS leader into a dark tunnel where he blew himself up with a suicide vest, killing himself and three children and wounding the dog. Trump tweeted a picture of the dog on Monday, saying it did a "GREAT JOB." We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2019 × He said the name of the dog has not been declassified yet. Milley also declined to provide the dog's name or any further details about the canine. "We're not releasing the name of the dog right now," the general said. He said the dog had been "slightly wounded and is fully recovering." "The dog is still in theater, returned to duty, with its handler," he said.

'Declassified picture' of hero dog that helped to kill Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baghdadi-died-whimpering-and-crying-after-running-into-a-dead-end-tunnel-says-trump-258391">President Donald Trump</a> said on Tuesday the US military had killed the person who likely would have succeeded<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/remains-of-islamic-state-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-buried-at-sea-us-official-258568"> Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi</a> as the leader of Islamic State.

"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops," Trump said on Twitter. "Most likely would have taken the top spot."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1189172468159864832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump did not specify who he was referring to, but the United States on Monday confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the jihadi group.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by US&nbsp;special forces in northwest Syria, in a major blow to the jihadist group.

Trump told the nation in a televised address from the White House that US forces killed a "large number" of Islamic State militants during the raid which culminated in cornering Baghdadi in a tunnel, where he set off a suicide vest.

"He ignited his vest, killing himself," Trump said.

"He died after running into a dead end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said, adding that three of Baghdadi's children also died in the blast.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US military had killed the person who likely would have succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the leader of Islamic State.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US military had killed the person who likely would have succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the leader of Islamic State. "Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops," Trump said on Twitter. "Most likely would have taken the top spot." Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019 × Trump did not specify who he was referring to, but the United States on Monday confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the jihadi group. US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by US special forces in northwest Syria, in a major blow to the jihadist group. Trump told the nation in a televised address from the White House that US forces killed a "large number" of Islamic State militants during the raid which culminated in cornering Baghdadi in a tunnel, where he set off a suicide vest. "He ignited his vest, killing himself," Trump said. "He died after running into a dead end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said, adding that three of Baghdadi's children also died in the blast.

Trump says Baghdadi's top replacement also 'terminated'

The United States wants to bolster a coalition fighting Islamic State in northeastern Syria, a senior State Department official said on Monday, after the leader of the jihadi movement, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/isis-chief-baghdadi-died-crying-screaming-like-a-coward-by-us-soldiers-trump-258418">Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed</a> in the weekend operation.

World leaders welcomed his death, but they and security experts warned that the group, which carried out atrocities against religious minorities and horrified most Muslims, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baghdadis-death-not-the-end-of-islamic-state-iran-258406">remained a security threat</a> in Syria and beyond.

The official said that President Donald Trump, by announcing the withdrawal of US&nbsp;forces from northern Syria on October&nbsp;6, did not suggest that Washington was abandoning the fight against Islamic State.

"There was never an idea that we would abandon the mission of going after ISIS. ... This is a major effort that is continuing," the official told reporters.

Foreign ministers will meet in Washington on November&nbsp;14 to discuss the mission.

"The United States is determined to prevent a resurgence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and continues to work with the Global Coalition to destroy ISIS remnants and thwart its global ambitions," the US&nbsp;State Department said in a statement.

It said the Washington meeting's discussions would have a "particular focus on recent developments in northeast Syria and their relationship to stability and security of the region."

Trump has softened his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-retreat-from-syria-could-see-islamic-state-roar-back-to-life-258190">pullout plans for Syria</a> after a backlash from Congress, including from fellow Republicans, who say he enabled a long-threatened Turkish incursion on October&nbsp;9 against Kurdish forces in Syria who had been America's top allies in the battle against Islamic State since 2014.

US&nbsp;special forces carried out the Syrian operation in which Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children by detonating a suicide vest when he was cornered in a tunnel.

Trump said on Monday he may declassify and release part of the video taken on Saturday of the raid. The video is believed to include aerial footage and possibly footage from cameras mounted on the soldiers who stormed Baghdadi's compound.

Trump said on Sunday that Baghdadi had died "whimpering and crying" in a raid that fulfilled the president's top national security goal.

The United States has given the remains of Baghdadi a burial at sea and afforded him religious rites according to Islamic custom, three officials told Reuters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say if the United States had told Russia about the operation in advance. Trump, in announcing the operation, said Russia "treated us great" by opening up airspace it controlled for the raid.

Peskov added: "If this information is confirmed, we can talk about a serious contribution by the president of the United States to the fight against international terrorism."

French President Emmanuel Macron said Baghdadi's death was a major blow against Islamic State, but "the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist organisation".

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We will work with our coalition partners to bring an end to the murderous, barbaric activities of Daesh (Islamic State) once and for all."

In Southeast Asia, an important focus for Islamic State, officials said security forces were preparing for a long battle to thwart the group's ideology.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, home to some of Asia's most organised Islamist militants, said they were braced for retaliation by Islamic State loyalists, including "lone-wolf" attacks by radicalised locals.

The United States on Monday confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the jihadi group, in a separate US&nbsp;operation in northern Syria.

Although Baghdadi's death will unsettle Islamic State, it remains capable and dangerous, said Delfin Lorenzana, defence secretary of the Philippines, where the group's influence has taken a hold in its troubled Mindanao region.

"This is a blow to the organisation considering al-Baghdadi's stature as a leader. But this is just a momentary setback considering the depth and reach of the organisation worldwide," Lorenzana said. "Somebody will take his place."

Islamic State has no declared successor as leader. But the group has proved resilient, continuing to mount or inspire attacks in the region and beyond despite losing most of its territory in recent years.

Baghdadi had long been sought by the United States - which offered a $25 million reward - as leader of a jihadist group that at one point controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, where it declared a caliphate.

Islamic State has brutally attacked religious minorities and launched deadly strikes on five continents in a violent campaign that horrified most Muslims.

In their long hunt for Baghdadi, Iraqi intelligence teams secured a break in February 2018 after one of his top aides gave them information on how he escaped capture for so many years, two Iraqi security officials said.

Baghdadi held strategy talks with his commanders in moving minibuses packed with vegetables in order to avoid detection, Ismael al-Ethawi told officials after he was arrested by Turkish authorities and handed to the Iraqis.

"Ethawi gave valuable information which helped the Iraqi multi-security agencies team complete the missing pieces of the puzzle of Baghdadi's movements and places he used to hide," one of the Iraqi security officials said.

Iraqi security officials said Kurdish intelligence agents had exchanged information with counterparts in Baghdad on the movements of Baghdadi and his aides in Syria. One of the Kurds' sources passed on a "golden tip" earlier this year.

Suspicious movements were spotted by locals at a house in a village in Syria, which was placed under surveillance and turned out to be the house used by Baghdadi, the Iraqi officials said.

The raid on Baghdadi comes weeks after Trump announced the withdrawal of US&nbsp;troops from northeastern Syria.

Critics expressed concern at the abandoning of the Kurdish fighters who were instrumental in defeating Islamic State in Syria, and said the move might allow the group to regain strength and pose a threat to US&nbsp;interests.

The Pentagon, however, said the United States would repel any attempt to take Syria's oilfields away from US-backed Syrian militia with "overwhelming force," whether the opponent is Islamic State or even forces backed by Russia or Syria.

Trump said the raid would not change his decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

But killing Baghdadi could help blunt those concerns, as well as boosting Trump domestically at a time when he is facing an impeachment inquiry in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives.

Egypt, which is fighting militants loyal to Islamic State, said the killing of Baghdadi was "an important step towards eradicating terrorism".

US&nbsp;foe Iran, which accuses the United States and its allies of creating Islamic State, was dismissive. Information Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted: "Not a big deal, You just killed your creature".

At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people from northern Syria to the outskirts of Baghdad.

Thousands of civilians were killed by the group as it mounted what the United Nations called a genocidal campaign against Iraq's Yazidi minority. It also caused worldwide revulsion by beheading foreign nationals from countries including the United States, Britain and Japan.

The group has claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, France, Orlando, Florida, Manchester, England, London and Berlin, and in Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The United States wants to bolster a coalition fighting Islamic State in northeastern Syria, a senior State Department official said on Monday, after the leader of the jihadi movement, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in the weekend operation.

The United States wants to bolster a coalition fighting Islamic State in northeastern Syria, a senior State Department official said on Monday, after the leader of the jihadi movement, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in the weekend operation. World leaders welcomed his death, but they and security experts warned that the group, which carried out atrocities against religious minorities and horrified most Muslims, remained a security threat in Syria and beyond. The official said that President Donald Trump, by announcing the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria on October 6, did not suggest that Washington was abandoning the fight against Islamic State. "There was never an idea that we would abandon the mission of going after ISIS. ... This is a major effort that is continuing," the official told reporters. Foreign ministers will meet in Washington on November 14 to discuss the mission. "The United States is determined to prevent a resurgence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and continues to work with the Global Coalition to destroy ISIS remnants and thwart its global ambitions," the US State Department said in a statement. It said the Washington meeting's discussions would have a "particular focus on recent developments in northeast Syria and their relationship to stability and security of the region." Trump has softened his pullout plans for Syria after a backlash from Congress, including from fellow Republicans, who say he enabled a long-threatened Turkish incursion on October 9 against Kurdish forces in Syria who had been America's top allies in the battle against Islamic State since 2014. US special forces carried out the Syrian operation in which Baghdadi killed himself and three of his children by detonating a suicide vest when he was cornered in a tunnel. Trump said on Monday he may declassify and release part of the video taken on Saturday of the raid. The video is believed to include aerial footage and possibly footage from cameras mounted on the soldiers who stormed Baghdadi's compound. Trump said on Sunday that Baghdadi had died "whimpering and crying" in a raid that fulfilled the president's top national security goal. The United States has given the remains of Baghdadi a burial at sea and afforded him religious rites according to Islamic custom, three officials told Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say if the United States had told Russia about the operation in advance. Trump, in announcing the operation, said Russia "treated us great" by opening up airspace it controlled for the raid. Peskov added: "If this information is confirmed, we can talk about a serious contribution by the president of the United States to the fight against international terrorism." French President Emmanuel Macron said Baghdadi's death was a major blow against Islamic State, but "the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist organisation". British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We will work with our coalition partners to bring an end to the murderous, barbaric activities of Daesh (Islamic State) once and for all." In Southeast Asia, an important focus for Islamic State, officials said security forces were preparing for a long battle to thwart the group's ideology. The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, home to some of Asia's most organised Islamist militants, said they were braced for retaliation by Islamic State loyalists, including "lone-wolf" attacks by radicalised locals. The United States on Monday confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the jihadi group, in a separate US operation in northern Syria. Although Baghdadi's death will unsettle Islamic State, it remains capable and dangerous, said Delfin Lorenzana, defence secretary of the Philippines, where the group's influence has taken a hold in its troubled Mindanao region. "This is a blow to the organisation considering al-Baghdadi's stature as a leader. But this is just a momentary setback considering the depth and reach of the organisation worldwide," Lorenzana said. "Somebody will take his place." Islamic State has no declared successor as leader. But the group has proved resilient, continuing to mount or inspire attacks in the region and beyond despite losing most of its territory in recent years. Baghdadi had long been sought by the United States - which offered a $25 million reward - as leader of a jihadist group that at one point controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, where it declared a caliphate. Islamic State has brutally attacked religious minorities and launched deadly strikes on five continents in a violent campaign that horrified most Muslims. In their long hunt for Baghdadi, Iraqi intelligence teams secured a break in February 2018 after one of his top aides gave them information on how he escaped capture for so many years, two Iraqi security officials said. Baghdadi held strategy talks with his commanders in moving minibuses packed with vegetables in order to avoid detection, Ismael al-Ethawi told officials after he was arrested by Turkish authorities and handed to the Iraqis. "Ethawi gave valuable information which helped the Iraqi multi-security agencies team complete the missing pieces of the puzzle of Baghdadi's movements and places he used to hide," one of the Iraqi security officials said. Iraqi security officials said Kurdish intelligence agents had exchanged information with counterparts in Baghdad on the movements of Baghdadi and his aides in Syria. One of the Kurds' sources passed on a "golden tip" earlier this year. Suspicious movements were spotted by locals at a house in a village in Syria, which was placed under surveillance and turned out to be the house used by Baghdadi, the Iraqi officials said. The raid on Baghdadi comes weeks after Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria. Critics expressed concern at the abandoning of the Kurdish fighters who were instrumental in defeating Islamic State in Syria, and said the move might allow the group to regain strength and pose a threat to US interests. The Pentagon, however, said the United States would repel any attempt to take Syria's oilfields away from US-backed Syrian militia with "overwhelming force," whether the opponent is Islamic State or even forces backed by Russia or Syria. Trump said the raid would not change his decision to withdraw troops from Syria. But killing Baghdadi could help blunt those concerns, as well as boosting Trump domestically at a time when he is facing an impeachment inquiry in the US House of Representatives. Egypt, which is fighting militants loyal to Islamic State, said the killing of Baghdadi was "an important step towards eradicating terrorism". US foe Iran, which accuses the United States and its allies of creating Islamic State, was dismissive. Information Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted: "Not a big deal, You just killed your creature". At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people from northern Syria to the outskirts of Baghdad. Thousands of civilians were killed by the group as it mounted what the United Nations called a genocidal campaign against Iraq's Yazidi minority. It also caused worldwide revulsion by beheading foreign nationals from countries including the United States, Britain and Japan. The group has claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, France, Orlando, Florida, Manchester, England, London and Berlin, and in Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

US wants to bolster fight against Islamic State after its leader's death

All concerned parties are looking at their respective national interests, and thus, the situation in West Asia is turning from bad to worse, says Retired Major General SB Asthana

Video Opinion: Maintaining stability in West Asia

Trump Tells The World That He Wants Syrian Oil For The U.S. The death of terrorist al-Baghdadi is a big blow for the ISIS. But the U.S. engagement in the region is not only about eliminating terrorism but also to secure its own interests.

Gravitas: U.S. Spills The Beans: Trump Wants To 'seize' Syrian Oil

Kurdish YPG forces in Syria have not fully withdrawn from the border territory as agreed in a Russia-brokered accord, and Turkey will soon discuss next steps with Moscow, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

Cavusoglu said a Russian military delegation was coming to Turkey to discuss joint patrols set to begin on Tuesday. He repeated that if the YPG did not withdraw some 30 kms (18 miles) from Turkey`s border, Turkish forces would clear them out.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday it had agreed to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, an announcement welcomed by Damascus which said Turkey should now end its "aggression" in northeast Syria.

Turkey launched its cross-border offensive on October 9 targeting Kurdish YPG forces in northeast Syria after President Donald Trump pulled US troops out of the area.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin then agreed on October 22 that Syrian border guards and Russian military police would clear the border area up to 30 km into Syria of YPG fighters over a six-day period that ends Tuesday.

The YPG is the main component of the SDF and is viewed by Ankara as terrorists due to their links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. But the SDF has been a key ally of the United States in the fight against Islamic State militants.

&nbsp;

Kurdish YPG forces in Syria have not fully withdrawn from the border territory as agreed in a Russia-brokered accord, and Turkey will soon discuss next steps with Moscow, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

Kurdish YPG forces in Syria have not fully withdrawn from the border territory as agreed in a Russia-brokered accord, and Turkey will soon discuss next steps with Moscow, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Cavusoglu said a Russian military delegation was coming to Turkey to discuss joint patrols set to begin on Tuesday. He repeated that if the YPG did not withdraw some 30 kms (18 miles) from Turkey`s border, Turkish forces would clear them out. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday it had agreed to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, an announcement welcomed by Damascus which said Turkey should now end its "aggression" in northeast Syria. Turkey launched its cross-border offensive on October 9 targeting Kurdish YPG forces in northeast Syria after President Donald Trump pulled US troops out of the area. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin then agreed on October 22 that Syrian border guards and Russian military police would clear the border area up to 30 km into Syria of YPG fighters over a six-day period that ends Tuesday. The YPG is the main component of the SDF and is viewed by Ankara as terrorists due to their links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. But the SDF has been a key ally of the United States in the fight against Islamic State militants.

Turkey says Kurdish YPG has not fully withdrawn from Syria border region

How US planned operation to kill Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

In Syria and Iraq, the ex-prisoners and those who were victims of ISIS are doing celebrations after the death announcement of ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death. Let's listen to it by yourself.

ISIS victims rejoice at announcement of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-diplomat-unaware-of-possible-quid-pro-quo-on-ukraine-258326">United States</a>&nbsp;military operation in Syria, sources in Syria, Iraq and Iran said on Sunday, as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House.

A US&nbsp;official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told Reuters Baghdadi was targeted in the overnight raid but was unable to say whether the operation was successful.

A commander of one of the militant factions in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib said Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in a raid after midnight on Saturday involving helicopters, warplanes and a ground clash in the village of Brisha near the Turkish border.

Two Iraqi security sources and two Iranian officials said they had received confirmation from inside Syria that Baghdadi had been killed.

"Iran was informed about Baghdadi's death by Syrian officials who got it from the field," one of the officials said.

Newsweek, which first reported the news, said it had been told by a US&nbsp;Army official briefed on the raid that Baghdadi was dead. It said the operation was carried out by special operations forces after receiving actionable intelligence.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley announced late on Saturday that Trump would make a "major statement" at 1300 GMT&nbsp;on Sunday.

Gidley gave no further details as to the topic of Trump's statement.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Something very big has just happened!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1188264965930700801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-leader-targeted-by-united-states-forces-as-trump-plans-sunday-statement-258337">president gave an indication</a> that something was afoot earlier on Saturday night when he tweeted without explanation, "Something very big has just happened!"

Trump has faced withering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats alike for his US&nbsp;troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America's Kurdish allies.

Many critics of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">Trump</a>'s Syria pullout have expressed worries that it would lead the Islamic State militancy to regain strength and pose a threat to US&nbsp;interests. An announcement about Baghdadi's death could help blunt those concerns.

For days, US&nbsp;officials had feared that Islamic State would seek to capitalise on the upheaval in Syria. But they also saw a potential opportunity, in which Islamic State leaders might break from more secretive routines to communicate with operatives, potentially creating a chance for the United States and its allies to detect them.

Baghdadi was long thought to hiding somewhere along the Iraq-Syria border. He has led the group since 2010, when it was still an underground al Qaeda offshoot in Iraq.

On September&nbsp;16, Islamic State's media network issued a 30-minute audio message purporting to come from Baghdadi, in which he said operations were taking place daily and called on supporters to free women jailed in camps in Iraq and Syria over their alleged links to his group.

In the audio message, Baghdadi also said the United States and its proxies had been defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the United States had been "dragged" into Mali and Niger.

At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through towns and villages along the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

But the fall in 2017 of Mosul and Raqqa, its strongholds in Iraq and Syria respectively, stripped Baghdadi, an Iraqi, of the trappings of a caliph and turned him into a fugitive thought to be moving along the desert border between Iraq and Syria.

US&nbsp;airstrikes killed most of his top lieutenants, and before Islamic State published a video message of Baghdadi in April there had been conflicting reports over whether he was alive.

Despite losing its last significant territory, Islamic State is believed to have sleeper cells around the world, and some fighters operate from the shadows in Syria's desert and Iraq's cities.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in a United States military operation in Syria, sources in Syria, Iraq and Iran said on Sunday, as US President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in a United States military operation in Syria, sources in Syria, Iraq and Iran said on Sunday, as US President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told Reuters Baghdadi was targeted in the overnight raid but was unable to say whether the operation was successful. A commander of one of the militant factions in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib said Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in a raid after midnight on Saturday involving helicopters, warplanes and a ground clash in the village of Brisha near the Turkish border. Two Iraqi security sources and two Iranian officials said they had received confirmation from inside Syria that Baghdadi had been killed. "Iran was informed about Baghdadi's death by Syrian officials who got it from the field," one of the officials said. Newsweek, which first reported the news, said it had been told by a US Army official briefed on the raid that Baghdadi was dead. It said the operation was carried out by special operations forces after receiving actionable intelligence. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley announced late on Saturday that Trump would make a "major statement" at 1300 GMT on Sunday. Gidley gave no further details as to the topic of Trump's statement. Something very big has just happened! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2019 × The president gave an indication that something was afoot earlier on Saturday night when he tweeted without explanation, "Something very big has just happened!" Trump has faced withering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats alike for his US troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America's Kurdish allies. Many critics of Trump's Syria pullout have expressed worries that it would lead the Islamic State militancy to regain strength and pose a threat to US interests. An announcement about Baghdadi's death could help blunt those concerns. For days, US officials had feared that Islamic State would seek to capitalise on the upheaval in Syria. But they also saw a potential opportunity, in which Islamic State leaders might break from more secretive routines to communicate with operatives, potentially creating a chance for the United States and its allies to detect them. Baghdadi was long thought to hiding somewhere along the Iraq-Syria border. He has led the group since 2010, when it was still an underground al Qaeda offshoot in Iraq. On September 16, Islamic State's media network issued a 30-minute audio message purporting to come from Baghdadi, in which he said operations were taking place daily and called on supporters to free women jailed in camps in Iraq and Syria over their alleged links to his group. In the audio message, Baghdadi also said the United States and its proxies had been defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the United States had been "dragged" into Mali and Niger. At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through towns and villages along the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. But the fall in 2017 of Mosul and Raqqa, its strongholds in Iraq and Syria respectively, stripped Baghdadi, an Iraqi, of the trappings of a caliph and turned him into a fugitive thought to be moving along the desert border between Iraq and Syria. US airstrikes killed most of his top lieutenants, and before Islamic State published a video message of Baghdadi in April there had been conflicting reports over whether he was alive. Despite losing its last significant territory, Islamic State is believed to have sleeper cells around the world, and some fighters operate from the shadows in Syria's desert and Iraq's cities.

Islamic State leader Baghdadi reportedly killed in Syria by United States forces

Russia's big charge at the U.S., 'U.S. troops oversaw smuggling of oil from Syria'. Watch this video to know more.

Russia's big charge at the U.S., 'U.S. troops oversaw smuggling of oil from Syria'

ISIS chief Baghdadi dead in US raid in northwest Syria said, Donald Trump.

Breaking News: Baghdadi killed in US operation in Syria

Clashes in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-will-clear-terrorists-from-syria-border-if-sochi-deal-fails-258300">northeast Syria</a> between pro-Ankara fighters backed by the Turkish air force and a Damascus-backed force led by Syrian Kurds left 15 dead on Saturday, a monitor said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that nine pro-Turkish fighters and six members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed in a zone between the towns of Tal Tamr and Ras al-Ain.

State news agency SANA said earlier Syrian government forces had entered the provincial borders of Ras al-Ain near Turkey's border on Saturday, &nbsp;an area that was taken by Turkish forces in the latter's weeks-long offensive against Syria's Kurds.

The Observatory said the Syrian government's deployment there was its largest in years.

Syrian government troops had also deployed along a road stretching some 30 kilometres south of the frontier, SANA said.&nbsp;

Watch: What's the on-ground reality&nbsp;in Syria?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/whats-the-reality-on-ground-in-syria-258283/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Turkey and its Syrian proxies on October 9 launched a cross-border attack against Kurdish-held areas, grabbing a 120-kilometre-long&nbsp;swathe of Syrian land along the frontier.

The incursion left hundreds dead and caused 300,000 people to flee their homes, in the latest humanitarian crisis in Syria's brutal eight-year war.

Turkey and Russia this week struck a deal in Sochi for more Kurdish forces to withdraw from the frontier on both sides of that Turkish-held area under the supervision of Russian and Syrian forces.

On Saturday, the Britain-based Observatory said some 2,000 Syrian troops and hundreds of military vehicles were deploying around what <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amnesty-international-says-turkey-deporting-syrians-to-planned-safe-zone-region-258214">Turkey calls its "safe zone"</a>.&nbsp;

Government forces were being accompanied by Russian military police, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

Moscow has said 300 Russian military police had arrived in Syria to help ensure Kurdish forces withdraw to a line 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the border in keeping with Tuesday's agreement.

Under the Sochi deal, Kurdish forces have until late Tuesday to withdraw from border areas at either end of the Turkish-held area, before joint Turkish-Russian patrols start in a 10-kilometre strip there.

Ankara eventually wants to set up a buffer zone on Syrian soil along the entire length of its 440-kilometre-long border, including to resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey.

The SDF has objected to some provisions of the Sochi agreement and it has so far maintained several border posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Saturday that Ankara would "clear terrorists" on its border if the Kurdish forces, which his country view as an offshoot of its own banned insurgency, did not withdraw by the deadline.

Clashes in northeast Syria between pro-Ankara fighters backed by the Turkish air force and a Damascus-backed force led by Syrian Kurds left 15 dead on Saturday, a monitor said.

Clashes in northeast Syria between pro-Ankara fighters backed by the Turkish air force and a Damascus-backed force led by Syrian Kurds left 15 dead on Saturday, a monitor said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that nine pro-Turkish fighters and six members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed in a zone between the towns of Tal Tamr and Ras al-Ain. State news agency SANA said earlier Syrian government forces had entered the provincial borders of Ras al-Ain near Turkey's border on Saturday, an area that was taken by Turkish forces in the latter's weeks-long offensive against Syria's Kurds. The Observatory said the Syrian government's deployment there was its largest in years. Syrian government troops had also deployed along a road stretching some 30 kilometres south of the frontier, SANA said. Watch: What's the on-ground reality in Syria? Turkey and its Syrian proxies on October 9 launched a cross-border attack against Kurdish-held areas, grabbing a 120-kilometre-long swathe of Syrian land along the frontier. The incursion left hundreds dead and caused 300,000 people to flee their homes, in the latest humanitarian crisis in Syria's brutal eight-year war. Turkey and Russia this week struck a deal in Sochi for more Kurdish forces to withdraw from the frontier on both sides of that Turkish-held area under the supervision of Russian and Syrian forces. On Saturday, the Britain-based Observatory said some 2,000 Syrian troops and hundreds of military vehicles were deploying around what Turkey calls its "safe zone". Government forces were being accompanied by Russian military police, the Observatory said. Moscow has said 300 Russian military police had arrived in Syria to help ensure Kurdish forces withdraw to a line 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the border in keeping with Tuesday's agreement. Under the Sochi deal, Kurdish forces have until late Tuesday to withdraw from border areas at either end of the Turkish-held area, before joint Turkish-Russian patrols start in a 10-kilometre strip there. Ankara eventually wants to set up a buffer zone on Syrian soil along the entire length of its 440-kilometre-long border, including to resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey. The SDF has objected to some provisions of the Sochi agreement and it has so far maintained several border posts. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Saturday that Ankara would "clear terrorists" on its border if the Kurdish forces, which his country view as an offshoot of its own banned insurgency, did not withdraw by the deadline.

15 dead in Syria clashes between pro-Turkish forces, Kurds: Report

Russia's big allegation against U.S servicemen.Russian Defense ministry said that U.S exported Syrian oil .

Did U.S Smuggle Syrian Oil?

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