President trump says the leader of the so called Islamic State group, abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, has been killed during an operation by us special forces. The is leader had been described as the worlds most wanted man. In 2011 the us officially designated him a terrorist and offered a reward of ten Million Dollars for information leading to his capture or death his death had been wrongly reported on several occasions. He emerged in 2010 as the leader of alqaeda in iraq, one of the groups that merged with is, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger with the al nusra front in syria. Heres President Trump making the announcement earlier today. Last night, the United States brought the worlds number one terrorist leader to justice. Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi is dead. He was the founder and leader of isis, the most ruthless and violent Terror Organisation anywhere in the world. The United States has been searching for al baghdadi for many years. Capturing or killing al baghdadi has been the Top National Security priority of my administration. Us special Operations Forces executed a dangerous and daring night time raid in North Western syria, and accomplished their mission in grand style. Though us personnel were incredible. I got to watch much of it. No personnel were lost in the operation, while a large number of al baghdadis fighters and companions were killed with him. He died after running into a dead end tunnel, whimpering, crying and screaming all the way. The compound had been cleared by this time, with people either surrendering or being shot and killed. 11 Young Children were moved out of the house and are uninjured. The only ones remaining were al baghdadi in the tunnel, and he had dragged three of his Young Children with him. This they were led to certain death. He reached the end of the tunnel as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children. His body was mutilated by the blast. The tunnel had caved in on it in addition. But test results gave certain, immediate and totally positive identification. It was him. The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last lets speak to Chris Buckler whos in washington for us. The earlier indications were some Important News that the president tweeted that he would be saying and it was quite clear it will be about abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. It was quite clear it will be about abu Bakr Al Baghdadil it was quite clear it will be about abu bakr albaghdadi. How important is it mistaking regard his death in terms of trying to control the re emergence of Islamic State in which doesnt establish itself . I think incredibly significant. President trump spoke for almost an hour and it sounded like a victory speech. There was triumphant language used throughout. Mike triumphalist. There is no regard he there is no doubt he regards this as something extremely significant. He said it was the top priority of his administration. To kill abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. He says as commander in chief he has directed the obliteration of the caliphate. It gives you the sense that President Trump is trying to sell this as being a huge moment and to some extent he has to because his Foreign Policy has been under severe criticism in recent weeks, not least after allowing turkey to invade syria which led a lot of the Kurdish Forces which fought along the you notice states to feel left out. Mike and the United States. This is a President Trump essentially saying he has had a huge moment here. This is him saying this is something that has really ended Islamic State but of course that is a question in itself. Even during that speech he acknowledged that there were su ccesso is acknowledged that there were successors lined up after abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. Although he said america had them in their sites. The general who leads the Kurdish Military forces said they were involved in supplying intelligence in the operation had been under adele it might development for the last five months. That meant the operation been under development. I suspect democrats in washington might be sceptical of the taming of the announcement and why the operation happened now. And has the pentagon any answer to that . President trump says abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. Was under surveillance for the last couple of weeks and there had been a couple of moments during these last weeks in which they had planned to strike but there had been questions and suggestions he was going to move, suggestions he was looking a little scared and panicked and trying to think about what would happen next. They will say they acted as quickly as they could. Democrats will argue that President Trump is needed Something Like this to really reset his Foreign Policy agenda, to make it look like he has had a moment and certainly there have been republicans in congress who have been extremely critical of the president. What might be notable as one of those critics who was once on my list to donald trump and stood behind the president , lindsey graham, a leading senator and one he was very critical of President Trump, he was at the white house. In fa ct trump, he was at the white house. In fact he spoke of the last half hour and no says President Trump has not been given the credit he deserves for destroying caliphate. It this idea that President Trump is trying to bring republicans back on board but what is key in all of this is the fight that he has no scene has no scene abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. Dead. 25 million was boot on the head of that might put on the head of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. Head of that might put on the head of abu bakral baghdadi. He head of that might put on the head of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. He talked of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. He talked of him opening and screaming and dying like a coward and dying like a doll. A lot of this was directed at american audience. President trump is very aware of the election. He wa nts to is very aware of the election. He wants to get across to the people that he is a commander they can trust and at the same time there is also that message that he wants out of the middle east and does not believe american troops should be there other than in his words to god. To guard. Lets get more from our middle east correspondent quentin somerville, whos been following the story. The raid began in the pitch dark of northern syria. The ferocious sound of the firefight was heard for miles. Us forces dropped from helicopters and surrounded a compound. It was destroyed afterwards by air strikes. This is the scene this morning. The house belonged to abu muhammad salama, a senior figure in the Extremist Group haras al din. When those inside refused to surrender, the attack began. Translation around 11 oclock they started shooting the house of abu muhammad. He had a guest. The house was completely destroyed. We recovered seven bodies from under the rubble, and two others on the main street. Its thought that the guest was the worlds most wanted man, abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group. He was last seen earlier this year in a rare video, very much still in command of is. Its been a terrible yearfor the group. Their last remaining territory was lost in a bloody battle in the spring, leading to the capture of thousands of its supporters and their families. But the leadership of is fled before the attack began. Baghdadi disappeared. If confirmed, this brings an end to the reign of a man who led an empire of terror across the middle east and clawed at the capitals of europe. His followers crowed earlier this year when he unexpectedly appeared alive in a video. Today they are mostly silent. Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi was thought to be farfrom here, possibly in iraq. But there is growing evidence that it may be in these olive groves that one of the most brutal and most successful extremists in modern times met his end. Quentin somerville, bbc news, beirut. Tom batemen is at the turkey syria border. He gave us this analysis of what baghdadis death means for the region. We certainly got an extremely vivid account from President Trump of that special forces operation flyover territory which she repeatedly refer to as the most dangerous part of the operation because he said they had to fly over swathes of territory in syria which included thats controlled by russian forces, by turkish forces, repeatedly talking about the strength of firepower that those Airborne Troops had to potentially come into contact with. He said that they didnt apart from some limited fire but to believe that not to be from any of the main players. He described it as just individuals who dont like helicopters flying over them. But he said the eliminated or terminated that fire. As for cooperation, he again repeatedly talked about the Different Countries and actors that they had to coordinate with and specifically find people. I thought it was really noticeable that you had an american president thanking syria, thanking russia, thanking other countries with which there has been not exactly a great deal of cooperation and coordination of the many other things. But when it came to this operation he was at pains to do that. And then he also spoke about the Syrian Kurdish people. He said they had been involved not militarily but it helped the americans. The kurdish militant fighters were active in syria of course are so fighters were active in syria of course are so instrumental in eliminating the last territory of isis and so instrumental in removing Islamic State forces from Northern Iraq and syria. He spoke about them specifically and of course he said he fight those as well. They have been saying, the leader has been saying, talking about what he described as a historic operation and intelligence sharing with americans. You have on the one hand the Kurdish People and the americans paying tribute to each other over this operation. And then turkey here 110w this operation. And then turkey here now into its third week of an operation across this border here which they are trying to clear what they see as a terrorist organisation. And we now have a situation in which there has been a ceasefire which has been for the most pa rt ceasefire which has been for the most part holding. But i think this proves tacky and the americans and the curse of the kurdish militants across its border in a new realignment, a new phase of this relationship. Joining us now is nick henin, hes a war reporter who was taken hostage byjihadijohn for nine months, and hejoins us from berlin. The first thing is to ask you for your reaction to this announcement. My your reaction to this announcement. My reaction is relieved. I would not say i am happy about the news because it is difficult to be happy about the death of anyone but im definitely relieved and satisfied that this person who has done so much time to so many people will not harm anyone any more. This is done and this is good news. It was an enemy, the chief of an enemy group and he has been removed from the battlefield. He was a man who had found a way to inspire a lot of people, many of them from europe. The group who helped to was the group made out of british people who have gone to the region to support Islamic State. How much in captivity what is spoken of as an inspiration . Did you get any sense of him as a figure when you were helping . That mike when you were there . They were holding us because our captivity was mainly mind by european fighters. This book about a couple of times andi this book about a couple of times and i dont know if i didnt come him or if were going to him we received at some points are bitter to very high ranking leaders as a Group Without knowing much about them. Visit of very high ranking leaders. What does this say about him . Thats leaders. What does this say about him . Thats like leaders. What does this say about him . Thats like what did they say about him . They said he was their leader and they were respecting him. It is not yet the caliphate at this time because it was before the reinstallation of the caliphate. He was seen reinstallation of the caliphate. He was seen as a very reinstallation of the caliphate. He was seen as a very inspirational leader. He was a very it was a very sophisticated operation they ran and at one point had their own media office and on some occasions encouraged journalists to go and see how they were running this new caliphate. Do you think it was a different order of leader of the ha rd est different order of leader of the hardest groups . There are so many different groups. Jihadist. Hardest groups . There are so many different groups. Jihadistlj dont think abu Bakr Al Baghdadi invented anything but he was successful in taking all the tricks that worked before and optimising things. And terror tactics. So it did not invent anything. The major change i think of this group, with isis, is the change in the proportions. Never in the past that they have so many of our countrymen, our westerners, in the mud involved in sucha our westerners, in the mud involved in such a terrorist project. That involved in such a terrorist project. Im joined Byjoby WarrickNational Security reporter at the washington post. This is obviously an important and significant day in washington. How important do you think it should be seen as important do you think it should be seen as being for the region and the effo rts seen as being for the region and the efforts to write and syria and other countries are making to hold back the jihadist wave . 0ne countries are making to hold back the jihadist wave . One thing countries are making to hold back thejihadist wave . One thing i can tell you is that this very afternoon the Islamic State followers, the people of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi where engineering is business as usual are not confirming he had died but its out the normal propaganda of conduct in this way there and this rate here. How theyre going is an exhilarating pattern and we have seen many more exhilarating pattern and we have seen many more attacks recent weeks, not just seen many more attacks recent weeks, notjust in seen many more attacks recent weeks, not just in syria seen many more attacks recent weeks, notjust in syria but also in iraq and some of the other chapters isis has around the world. I think what is important for people to remember about abu Bakr Al Baghdadi it he is about abu Bakr Al Baghdadi it he is a very important figurehead who proclaim the caliphate and brought a lot of allegiance to isis because of that. But he was not as you can see it now very important operational planner in the became very decentralised. There are many of those who will continue to function anything they will feel the power to do more to show theyre still and releva nt. Do more to show theyre still and relevant. Was known to have made only two public appearances, the one you thought about when he announced the creation of the caliphate back in the past and earlier this year when a video message appear from them. How was this message spread given that he was such an elusive figure . It was controversial within pa rt figure . It was controversial within part of the Islamic State that he was so part of the Islamic State that he was so reclusive and he put himself out there so really. It made him somewhat less effective as a leader ina lot somewhat less effective as a leader in a lot of complaints during final days of the caliphate when the last pockets of resistance were following that he wasnt visible, he was not cheating on his people. Even earlier it was somewhat frustrating for us covering hem. We never heard his voice and saw his image only really. He was very much reclusive, almost a shadowy figure anatomy in the case his hands on presence was not that important and his symbolic presence was there but not really something leading the troops. It was more in the background as a figure we all know and respect but not someone fighting and dying for. Which raises the question of what difference it would make if these reports from the president are correct and he says they have tested the dna and believe it is him. If it is to make any difference to the operation of Islamic State under threat it poses . I think it will be a symbolic blow at least in the beginning. We know that a rather casualties and these leaders and people running the day to day operation. If so it does cause Islamic State to lose a step or two. I think they will be committed absolutely to committing the attacks we have seen in the past few weeks and we will probably see more of them because they very much need now to show they are still powerful and relevant. The last couple of weeks have been difficult for the president because of the ongoing impeachment process in the house of representatives and criticism of his decision to withdraw troops from syria and the notes are withdraw and then effectively allow turkey to make an incursion into northern syria. There will be those who are sceptical about the timing of this. Is there any justification for that scepticism or is it serendipity . think it was probably all the latter. We had been hearing charter for some weeks that something was happening. I have been some New Discovery as happened with 0sama bin laden. There was an important date might confident on informant we were able to trace to his compound. There was an informant we were able to trace it to his compound. Centrist in his last appearance, one of history rare once was just over a month ago so might be interesting to see later on if his rare once was just over a month ago so might be interesting to see later on if it appears, his willingness to show on tv made him more vulnerable somewhere and blew his cover. But i do think there was a long term long running effort to try to find and kill him. Itjust happened to happen this particular week. Patrick cockburn is the independents middle east reporter and predicted the rise of is. He says baghdadi had projected terror and describes why his death is so significant. He was the last important element in the caliphate which she declared in 2014. He was the last important leader to survive. The caliphate at one moment extended into an area bigger than britain and the and syria. That a big run down since 2014 and it doesnt hold any territory. But it always stood out in everybodys mind that abu Bakr Al Baghdadi was still alive and that isis was powerful and Strong Enough to keep him safe. So this is a big moment. It doesnt mean that isis will be totally out of business as a guerrilla organisation. We will probably think of making attacks particularly to counteract the impression that the death of the caliphate of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi will make. We are already seeing an increase in guerrilla attacks in syria and i think that will probably go on. We can now speak to a terrorism and Political Violence researcher at American University chelsea daymon. Shejoins us from our studio in washington. How significant do you think this is potentially for the efforts to repel and contain Islamic State . I definitely think this is low to the group and morality for its supporters. Isis have been very resilient in the past. Including the loss of territory. I do not think it will be the end of isis. How should we calibrate him in terms of our gallery of fours who the west is regarded as inspiring a leading jihadist groups. The president was drawing on the comparison with 0sama bin laden who said he had one before september 11 of that he was someone should be a target of Us Operations to ta ke should be a target of Us Operations to take out. Was abu Bakr Al Baghdadi an operational figure to take out. Was abu Bakr Al Baghdadi an operationalfigure in the same way as 0sama bin laden . would see it was more a philosopher and an spider. What we have seen of mike allen spider. Inspirer. Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi has been more command of the faithful and some are bin laden was more a public figure with speakeasy presented to the public and a lot more ideology he presented to his supporters. Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi get in the shadows and only went into the public eye and only went into the public eye and had announcements at certain big parts in the history of isis as we could that peak parts. Thank you very much for giving us your perspective on the death of abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. That announcement was made by donald trump a couple of hours ago and a live News Conference from the white house. He had announced beforehand on twitter an important to and he said it was big news for the United States and for the region as it battles to finally eliminate the Group Calling itself the Islamic State which briefly operated with such impact on both syria and iraq. The government says it will pres ahead with efforts call for a general election tomorrow, but hasnt ruled out working with opposition parties to get one if that fails. It follows an attempt by the liberal democrats and the Scottish National party to get a election on december the 9th. Heres our Political Correspondent tom barton. It might feel like youve done this quite a lot recently. At the referendum in 2016, at the election in 2017. But could you be doing it again before the end of 2019 . Today the lib dems and the snp offered to help borisjohnson to get an election, proposing a new law allowing him to get around rules saying a snap election needs the support of two thirds of mps. But it would also fix the date of an election, taking control of that away from the prime minister. If he is serious about wanting an election, and if he is genuine that its about having an election before christmas, then he can back this bill, because the other problem with his plan is that it leaves the ability to set the date of the election down to the prime minister. Now, he says the 12th of december, but, i mean, this is a man that is prepared to say anything. Asked about the proposals this morning, the conservative Party Chairman dismissed them as a stunt. The lib dem snp bill is clearly a gimmick, that there bill moves the election date by three days, that their bill moves the election date by three days, takes the Withdrawal Agreement completely off the table. And if really they want to vote for an election, they can vote for the bill that will be put forward. But later number 10 said that if it didnt manage to get an election agreed by parliament tomorrow, it would consider working with the snp and liberal democrats. The big question is whether labour will now back a december election. I think its a bit of a stunt by the lib dems and the snp. The reality is weve got to have no deal completely off the table. And that whole threat removed before anything else, because of the danger to our economy, tojobs, to trade, to medicine supply, and i thinkjohnson is playing with fire here. To medicine supplies, and i thinkjohnson is playing with fire here. Theres lots of work to be done by local councils if they are to be ready to count your votes before the end of the year. But before any of that can happen, mps need to decide whether or not they want that election. Tom barton, bbc news. Three people arrested in connection with the investigation into the deaths of the 39 people whose bodies were found in a refridgerated container lorry in essex have been released on bail. The 25 year old lorry drive Maurice Robinson is due to appear in Court Tomorrow charged with manslaughter. Meanwhile familes in vietman have been holding vigils and ceremonies for loved ones they fear died in the lorry as mark lowen reports. In vietnam, a shattered community is trying to keep faith. Not yet knowing but fearing that their childrens journey across the world for a betterfuture has ended in tragedy. Most of the 39 lorry victims are thought to be vietnamese, and this nation is grieving. Translation we are hoping that our children will have the same life that people have over there, and now things have turned out like this. An unbearable weight, for news of this mans sun, the father of a little boy, too young to understand. He last heard from his son one week ago, on facebook. Son. Im about to board a car to britain, he wrote, i will contact the family when i arrived in britain. Translation i have no hope any more and i am very anxious. I have heard a lot about my son, and every time i think of him, i cried. I have thought a lot about my son. Families are mourning, afraid of the worst, but they are providing hair and dna samples as police try to identify victims in essex. 25 year old Maurice Robinson from Northern Ireland has been charged with counts including manslaughter and people trafficking, three others held by police have been on bail. Click released on bail. Officers say that they are investigating a wider conspiracy amid a convoy of three vehicles carrying 100 people. In the vietnamese village from where one lady set out on herjourney, hope is fading fast. It is not going well, she told a friend, but then, using slang to mean she was reaching her destination, she wrote, it is