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SDF: We stole Baghdadi’s underwear to complete DNA test to locate him

October 29, 2019 at 1:42 pm

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Daesh leader, 29 October 2019

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of the terror group Daesh, allegedly had his location revealed by a DNA test taken after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stole his underwear, giving another strange twist in the story of his death.

A senior consultant to the SDF, named Polat Can, revealed the tactic on Twitter yesterday and explained how the militia’s “intelligence” helped locate Al-Baghdadi by having an undercover source obtain the Daesh leader’s underwear and conduct a DNA test on it to ensure his identity was correct.

“Our own source, who had been able to reach Al Baghdadi, brought Al Baghdadi’s underwear to conduct a DNA test and make sure (100%) that the person in question was Al Baghdadi himself,” Can wrote.

The revelation comes after US President Donald Trump said that the Kurdish militias provided “helpful” information prior to the US military’s operation. Can also added that the SDF had been working with the US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since 15 May to track Al-Baghdadi, managing to confirm that he moved from Syria’s eastern Deir Ez-Zor province to the north-western Idlib province, where he was killed on Saturday.

READ: Russia casts doubt on US operation to kill Baghdadi

Al-Baghdadi was planning to change locations and move to the northern Syrian town of Jarablus where a Daesh contact had been setting up the planned move, but the US’ operation spoiled those plans.

The news over the weekend shocked many around the world, prompting widespread celebrations, Daesh being dealt a significant blow in its leadership and morale, and many world leaders congratulating the US on its mission. Since the operation, however, many other players in the region have been claiming a stake in the death of the self-styled “Caliph”, including Turkey, the Kurdish militias and Iraqi intelligence.

Al-Baghdadi, who blew himself up killing himself and three of his six children at the end of a tunnel when fleeing US military operatives, has reportedly had his remains scattered at sea with Islamic religious rites being performed over them, similar to how Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was treated following his killing by US forces in Pakistan under the Obama administration in 2011.

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