Pentagon provides video, details on raid that killed al-Baghdadi
dpa
WASHINGTON (dpa)- The Pentagon on Wednesday released more details about the weekend raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, including a declassified video showing US commandos entering the compound where the Islamic State leader was hiding.
General Kenneth McKenzie told a briefing at the Pentagon that the commandos killed four women and one man in the operation after they began firing on US aircraft participating in the assault.
McKenzie said 11 children found on the compound were taken safely into custody. He also clarified that two children not three died when al-Baghdadi detonated the bomb that killed him. He didn't know their exact ages but said they were under 12.
The general would not confirm US President Donald Trump's characterization that al-Baghdadi died "whimpering and crying and screaming all the way."
McKenzie said al-Baghdadi "crawled into a hole with two small children and blew himself up while his people stayed on the ground," declining to confirm anything else about al-Baghdadi's last seconds.
After al-Baghdadi killed himself, commandos cleared significant debris from the tunnel and secured his remains, which were used to confirm through DNA analysis that it was al-Baghdadi before they were buried at sea within 24 hours, McKenzie said.
The assault team also secured a "substantial" amount of documents and other materials before levelling the compound to look "pretty much like a parking lot."
He added that a military dog that played a key role in the raid was injured by live electrical cables in the tunnel that were exposed when al-Baghdadi detonated the bomb. The animal has returned to duty, he said.
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