The fugitive leader of the Islamic State (IS) group has been killed in a US military operation in northwest Syria, President Donald Trump has said.
Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest after fleeing into a tunnel, chased by US military dogs.
Baghdadi came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria.
IS carried out multiple atrocities that resulted in thousands of deaths.
The jihadist group imposed a brutal rule on almost eight million people and was behind many attacks around the world. The US declared the "caliphate" defeated earlier this year although IS militants remain active in the region and elsewhere.
The killing of Baghdadi is a major victory for Mr Trump, who has been heavily criticised for his decision to pull US troops out of northern Syria earlier this month and is fighting an impeachment inquiry launched by Democrats.
In an unusual Sunday morning statement, Mr Trump said Baghdadi died after running into a dead-end tunnel in Idlib province, "whimpering, crying and screaming all the way", as he was chased by military dogs.
Baghdadi was accompanied by three of his young children, Mr Trump said, and detonated his suicide vest, killing them all. The blast mutilated Baghdadi's body but an on-site DNA test confirmed his identity.
"The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him," Mr Trump said.
