World leaders on Sunday welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by US special forces in northwest Syria.
Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest, Trump said in a televised address from the White House.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying, "I would like to congratulate President Trump on the impressive achievement that led to the assassination of the head of Islamic State al-Baghdadi. This reflects our shared determination, of the United States of America and of all free countries, to fight terror organizations and terrorist states. This achievement is an important milestone, but the campaign is still ahead of us."
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US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, criticized Trump not notifying US Congressional leadership prior to the raid. She also said in a statement: "The death of al-Baghdadi is significant, but the death of this ISIS leader does not mean the death of ISIS. Scores of ISIS fighters remain under uncertain conditions in Syrian prisons, and countless others in the region and around the world remain intent on spreading their influence and committing acts of terror."
Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election said, "We cannot afford to get distracted or take our eye off the target. ISIS remains a threat to the American people and our allies, and we must keep up the pressure to prevent ISIS from ever regrouping or again threatening the United States."
US Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) tweeted, "Al Baghdadi spread 'fire and brimstone' on earth' now he feels it for himself in hell. To all who arranged his change of venue – the intel officers, the President, the warriors – thank you."
British Premier Boris Johnson tweeted, "The death of Baghdadi is an important moment in our fight against terror but the battle against the evil of Daesh [ISIS] is not yet over. We will work with our coalition partners to bring an end to the murderous, barbaric activities of Daesh once and for all."
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that the world "must not allow Daesh to glorify someone who actioned such inhumane and abhorrent criminal acts. The UK will continue to support efforts to defeat Daesh."
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "Al-Baghdadi's death is a hard blow against Islamic State, but it is just a stage. With our partners in the international coalition, the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist organization. It is our priority in the Middle East."
Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said that the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was a fatal blow to the group.
The Iraqi government issued a statement saying, "Following extensive work by a dedicated team for over a year, Iraq's National Intelligence Service was able to accurately pinpoint the hideout of the terrorist Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in the Syrian province of Idlib.
"Subsequently, US forces in coordination with Iraq's National Intelligence Service carried out an operation which led to the elimination of the terrorist Al-Baghdadi.
"Iraq's Armed Forces and intelligence services will continue to work with Iraq's partners in the coalition to relentlessly pursue Daesh [Islamic State] terrorists and to defeat their ideology."
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei tweeted, "The killing of Baghdadi will not end Daesh [Islamic State] and its ideology, which was created and flourished with the help of regional petrodollars."
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov was quoted by local media as saying, "The Russian Defense Ministry does not have reliable information on the operation by US ... on yet another 'elimination' of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."
Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the upper house of parliament's foreign affairs committee, told the Interfax news agency: "Last respects have been paid to al-Baghdadi at least five times in the past. [Also] countering terrorism is a much more difficult task than the physical destruction of its leaders, even the most irreconcilable."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said, "The killing of Daesh's ringleader marks a turning point in our joint fight against terrorism. Turkey will continue to support anti-terror efforts, as it has done in the past."
A senior aide to Erdoğan, Fahrettin Altun, added that Ankara "was proud to help the United States, our NATO ally, bring a notorious terrorist to justice."
