BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the alleged death of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S.-led operation in northern Syria (all times local):
3:40 p.m.
A senior Turkish official says “to the best of my knowledge” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrived at a location in Syria 48 hours prior to the U.S. military raid that is believed to have targeted the Islamic State group leader.
The Turkish official said in a written statement Sunday that there has been “close coordination” among relevant parties and the Turkish military had advanced knowledge of the raid.
In a tweet earlier, the Turkish army said it had “information exchanged and coordination” with U.S. military authorities prior to the operation but did not elaborate.
The official added: “I can neither confirm nor deny that any intelligence was shared to facilitate last night’s operation.”
The U.S. raid with helicopters took place in the Barisha area north of Idlib city a few kilometers from the Turkish border.
— By Zeynep Bilginsoy
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7:45 a.m.
The leader of the Islamic State militant network is believed dead after being targeted by a U.S. military raid in Syria.
A U.S. official told The Associated Press late Saturday that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was targeted in Syria’s Idlib province. The official said confirmation that the IS chief was killed in an explosion is pending.
President Donald Trump teased a major announcement, tweeting Saturday night that “Something very big has just happened!”
A White House spokesman, Hogan Gidley, would say only that the president would be making a “major statement” at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday.