Pentagon releases images from al-Baghdadi operation

General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, released a number of declassified images and video from the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over the weekend and described the images for reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday.

This image shows the destruction of the compound in Idlib province in Syria where al-Baghdadi hid.

U.S. Central Command shared video on Twitter that showed fighters near the compound beginning to fire on U.S. aircraft participating in the the raid.

And this is the compound where al-Baghdadi hid, in Idlib province in Northwest Syria.

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The CENTCOM commander told reporters that four men and two women were killed in the assault, and said that the two children who were killed with al-Baghdadi were probably “under 12” years of age. McKenzie also suggested that in his last moments, al-Baghdadi may have fired from the tunnel where he fled before he detonated his bomb-laden vest. He did not confirm a claim that President Trump made, that in al-Baghdadi's final moments, he was “screaming, crying and whimpering.”

McKenzie also said of the DNA analysis confirming al-Baghdadi's identity that the analysis showed “beyond a shadow of a doubt” that the man who died over the weekend was al-Baghdadi. He described it as a “direct match” that “produced a level of certainty that the remains belonged to Baghdadi of 1 in 104 septillion.” In explaining this level of certainty, McKenzie produced a slide saying that “if the population of earth was 14.8 quadrillion times what it is today, you would still only expect to find one person with this DNA profile.”

Al-Baghdadi's remains were “buried at sea in accordance with the Law of Armed conflict within 24 hours of his death,” according to U.S. Central Command. 

There was also a little more information about the dog involved in the U.S. operation — he's a four-year veteran of the program and has been in 50 combat missions. He has also been returned to duty. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.