, 7 tweets, 3 min read
Just spoken to a senior Iraqi official who says they arrested one of Baghdadi's wives, his nephew & Baghdad's courier's wife in September. In interviews the latter gave up information on the leader's whereabouts and the coordinates in Idlib. "He wasn't very mobile" official said
These arrests were made in Iraq in September, which suggests Baghdadi has definitely be in Idlib for *at least* two months. Iraqi National Intelligence Services passed the information to the US around this time, according to the official 2/
It seems like the US mission was launched from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, not al-Asad airbase in Iraq or İncirlik in Turkey 3/ Latest here: telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/2…
Donald Trump talks about the “one hour and 10 min flight over very very dangerous territory”, which the US feared might have been the trickiest part of the entire mission. "We flew very low and very fast. Says met with "local gunfire" 4/
Also hearing wife of the courier/emissary who was arrested & questioned by the Iraqis led them to location in desert of al-Qaim (on the Iraqi side of the border across from Baghuz in Syria). Somewhere hidden at this site were documents with Baghdadi's coordinates written down 5/
This is interesting point from @rcallimachi. It was feared Baghdadi would move after being spooked as his trusted courier and his wife went quiet, but he didn't. Why? Had he become complacent? Or did he not like his chances moving around HTS-held Idlib 6/
@rcallimachi Astonishing aerial photo of the aftermath of the US raid on Baghdadi's compound in Barisha, Idlib, from @AFP
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