Baghdadi’s number one replacement killed by US forces: Trump

US President Donald Trump has claimed on Tuesday that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's "number one replacement" has been killed by American troops. In a tweet, Trump said, "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!"

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. A senior State Department official said on Monday that al-Muhajir was killed in a separate operation and not with Baghdadi. The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said on Sunday that al-Muhajir was killed in a joint raid between Kurdish-led and US forces in northern Syria.