Baghdadi's death: a major blow to Islamic State

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during an overnight raid led by U.S. military forces in Syria, a further blow to a jihadist group that once held a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Where once they confronted armies, the extremist Islamist group’s adherents have in recent years staged hit-and-run raids and suicide attacks. In some cases, the group has claimed responsibility for atrocities such as bombings in Sri Lanka in April that killed more than 250 people.

Islamic State’s involvement is not always proven, but even if the link is ideological rather than operational, it is still seen as a security threat in many countries: