President Trump: 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead'

President Donald Trump has said the leader of the Islamic State Group killed himself during an operation by US special forces in northwest Syria.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died after igniting a suicide vest.

Baghdadi came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria.

IS carried out a number of atrocities that resulted in thousands of deaths.