Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters.

Over the past dozen years, Syrian militant leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has worked to remake his image and the insurgency he commands.

An Iraqi court has issued a death sentence against one of the wives of the late brutal Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, alleging that she was complicit in crimes committed against Yazidi women captured by the militant group.

The Islamic State group declared its caliphate a decade ago.

The White House Situation Room — a space of great mystique and even higher secrecy — just got a $50 million facelift.

Syrian opposition activists and state media apparently did not know that an Iraqi militant who was killed in October in southern Syria was the leader of the Islamic State group.

The spokesman for the Islamic State group says its leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed in battle recently.

Former President Donald Trump has had a lifelong habit of collecting things.

A British man nicknamed one of the Beatles by his captives because of his English accent has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of four U.S. hostages captured by the Islamic State.

A jury has convicted a British national for his role in an Islamic State group hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago.

Jurors at the terrorism trial of British national El Shafee Elsheikh are hearing emotional testimony as the trial stretches into its second week in a Virginia courtroom.

A hostage who survived more than a year as a captive of the Islamic State is testifying about the beatings and torture inflicted on him by his captors.

The leader of the Islamic State group killed in a U.S. raid overnight in northwest Syria was largely a mystery, with almost no known photos, never appearing in public or in the group’s videos.

A British national has admitted in federal court that he played a leadership role in an Islamic State scheme to torture, hold for ransom and eventually behead American hostages.

One of two British nationals charged with joining with the Islamic State group and conspiring to torture and behead American and European hostages in Syria is scheduled to plead guilty to criminal charges.

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, which suffered widespread destruction during the war to defeat the Islamic State group in 2017.

Following a Mass on Sunday in the Iraqi city of Irbil, Francis met with Abdullah Kurdi and spent a long time with him, the Vatican said. Through an interpreter, the pope listened to Kurdi’s story and expressed sympathy for the loss of his family. Francis issued the appeal during a joyful visit to the Christian community of Qaraqosh, on the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq. Chaldean Catholic Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako said Francis’ visit to Iraq was “miraculous” and had already borne fruits. AdChristian and Muslim leaders in Mosul have welcomed Pope Francis' visit to the Iraqi city devastated by war and are calling on Christians who fled the Islamic State group's onslaught to return.

(CNN) - A wife and daughter of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi were among a group of ISIS suspects detained by Turkish police in June 2018, after weeks of round-the-clock surveillance, a senior Turkish official has said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first announced Wednesday that Baghdadi's wife had been captured. The senior Turkish official said the woman was Asma Fawzi Muhammad Al-Qubaysi, Baghdadi's first wife. At that point, she volunteered a lot of information about Baghdadi and the inner workings of ISIS," the senior official said. A senior Turkish official shared an image of Awad's falsified identity card exclusively with CNN.

A US defense official told CNN that the US government currently believes the allegations that Turkey has violated end-use monitoring agreements are "credible," prompting the review. "The United States works to ensure US-origin defense equipment is being used in the manner intended and consistent with the agreement or licenses under which the arms were transferred," a second US defense official told CNN. "The problem is that the people doing the fighting are these ill-disciplined Arab militias," a senior State Department official told reporters Wednesday when asked about the Turkish-backed proxies, adding that many of them are "relatively radical." Senior State Department officials have previously refused to say on the record whether they find the allegations that Turkey has violated its agreements with the US to be credible. "Have any U.S.-origin defense articles been used in connection with the Turkish offensive in Syria, including in connection with the use of chemical weapons?

President Donald Trump was met with loud, sustained boos and some cheers as he entered Madison Square Garden for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in New York. NEW YORK - President Donald Trump was met with loud, sustained boos and some cheers as he entered Madison Square Garden for the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night in New York. A handful of signs reading "Remove Trump" and "Impeach Trump" dotted the crowd. He was met with loud boos, cheers and 'lock him up' chants when he was displayed on Nationals Park's video screen. Since taking office, he has spent 99 days at his Mar-a-Lago club compared to only 20 days spent at Trump Tower in New York City, according to CNN's count.

Copyright 2019 CNNWASHINGTON (CNN) - Despite the collapse of its territorial caliphate, ISIS remained a growing and evolving threat even as it lost territory in Syria, a top State Department official said Friday. Counterterrorism Coordinator Ambassador Nathan Sales, speaking just days after the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said the terrorist organization spread its influence through affiliates and individual actors. However, the State Department report noted that in 2018, ISIS "proved its ability to adapt, especially through its efforts to inspire or direct followers online." "As the false caliphate collapsed, we saw ISIS' toxic ideology continue to spread around the globe in 2018," Sales told reporters Friday. In the ISIS audio message, published on the terrorist group's media wing al-Furqan, the spokesperson also announced its new leader -- Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

(CNN) - ISIS confirmed the death of former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and named his replacement in an audio message on Thursday. In the recording, published on the terrorist group's media wing al-Furqan, ISIS announced its new leader as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. Thursday's message was voiced by ISIS' new spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qarshi. Baghdadi's death marked the end of a years-long hunt to find one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. In April, a video published by the ISIS media wing al-Furqan showed a man purporting to be Baghdadi.

(CNN) - The heroic dog who helped chase down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi goes by the name Conan and he'll be making an appearance at the White House soon, President Donald Trump tweeted. Trump on Thursday declassified the name of the US military dog who was injured in the raid against Baghdadi. Trump also shared that Conan, a Belgian Malinois, will be leaving the Middle East next week and then visiting the White House. On Wednesday, Trump shared an edited photo, created by the Daily Wire, that showed him awarding the Medal of Honor to Conan. Very cute recreation, but the 'live' version of Conan will be leaving the Middle East for the White House sometime next week!"

CNN video(CNN) - The Pentagon released newly declassified video and images Wednesday of the daring, two hour raid targeting ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that shows US forces taking small arms fire from multiple locations as their helicopters approached the compound. McKenzie told reporters that he could not confirm that Baghdadi was "whimpering and crying" in his final moments as President Donald Trump claimed in his televised address on Sunday. He did reveal that special operations forces that carried out the raid were pre-staged in Syria, news that comes after Trump ordered most US troops to be removed from the country. Minutes after the Pentagon briefing, Trump began his remarks at the Medal of Honor ceremony for Army Master Sgt. Matthew Williams by thanking Secretary of Defense Mark Esper for the raid that led to the death of Baghdadi.

Although details about the K-9 aren't public -- the Pentagon has said the dog's name needs to remain classified due to their affiliation with a classified unit -- it's a welcome reminder that military working dogs are an important and ever-present thread throughout America's military history. That's definitely one facet of the job, but it's far from the only task military working dogs perform, and far from the only kind of military working dog to lend their services. The 341 TRS operates the Department of Defense's Military Working Dog Program, which is overseen by the United States Air Force. From time to time, military working dogs are even trained to be able to skydive with paratroopers. In recent years, the sacrifices and heroism of military working dogs have gained more attention, and several memorials have been erected to memorialize them.

(CNN) - President Donald Trump asserted in his televised address from the White House Sunday that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was "whimpering and crying " before ultimately detonating his suicide vest in a tunnel as US commandos closed in. Trump painted the ISIS leader as a coward, describing in great detail how he "spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him." "I know the President had planned to talk to ... unit members, but I -- I don't know what the source of that was. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has also said publicly he was not sure where Trump got that information from. Esper described the death of the ISIS leader as a "devastating blow" to ISIS.

CNN Video(CNN) - President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that "American troops" have "terminated" ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's "likely" replacement. A US official told CNN that "the President was referring to ISIS spokesperson Abu Hasan al-Muhajir." A senior State Department official told reporters Monday that al-Muhajir was killed by US forces in Aleppo province near Jarablus. "He was killed very close to the northeast, very close to the Euphrates River, near Jarablus," the official said. The official described al-Muhajir as both a spokesperson and "kind of a number two" to Baghdadi.

(CNN) - A spy for Kurdish forces in Syria stole Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's underwear in order to obtain a DNA sample of the ISIS leader and help lead the US military to his location, Kurdish officials have claimed. "Through our own sources, we managed to confirm that Al Baghdadi had moved from Al Dashisha area in [Deir Ezzor] to Idlib. "One of our sources was able to reach the house where Al Baghdadi was hiding. Our own source, who had been able to reach Al Baghdadi, brought Al Baghdadi's underwear to conduct a DNA test and make sure (100%) that the person in question was Al Baghdadi himself." Kurdish groups said they considered the US pullback -- which led to a Turkish offensive to clear Kurdish forces from the Syrian border area -- a "betrayal."

President Donald Trump said that a dog, part of the US operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over the weekend, was injured while chasing Baghdadi down a dead-end tunnel. Trump declassified a photo of the dogWASHINGTON (CNN) - There are good dogs -- and then there are hero dogs who chase down the world's top terrorist to his fatal demise. President Donald Trump said that a dog, part of the US operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over the weekend, was injured while chasing Baghdadi down a dead-end tunnel. The dog is believed to have been sent down the tunnel after it was feared that Baghdadi was wearing a suicide vest. He described the dog as "slightly wounded and fully recovering, but the dog is still in theater, returned to duty with its handler."

Many of those who were released from Camp Bucca -- including Baghdadi and al-Mawla -- joined what was then al Qaeda in Iraq, before it rebranded itself the Islamic State. Cole Bunzel, editor of the blog Jihadica, says that former ISIS members who defected over disagreements about ideology and strategy have been talking up al-Mawla's prospects of becoming the next ISIS leader. Like al-Mawla, he was a veteran of the cause, going back to the days of al Qaeda in Iraq. While its supporters will no doubt be angered by Baghdadi's death, ISIS has long prepared them for this moment. And on that ISIS and al Qaeda do agree -- that their struggle will last generations.

The parents of the American hostage murdered by ISIS are talking to Inside Edition after the operation to kill the leader of the terrorist organization was named for her. Kayla Mueller went to Syria to help refugees in 2013. While there, she was kidnapped during a tour of a Doctors Without Boarders hospital, and she was repeatedly raped and tortured by ISIS members. They were handcuffed, they slept in handcuffs at night, her father, Carl Mueller, said of Kayla's time there. Then, President Trump announced al-Baghdadi had died in a raid of northwestern Syria,a raid that had been code-named for Kayla.

A picture taken on November 5, 2012 in Aleppo shows US freelance reporter James Foley, who was kidnapped in war-torn Syria. "I'm hopeful that his demise will be a huge blow to the regrouping of ISIS. On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead after a US military raid in northwest Syria. Baghdadi had been at the helm of the organization that would later become ISIS since 2010, two years before James Foley was abducted by the group. Foley also said she hopes the US military can locate American hostages held abroad and bring them back home.

Rubble and ruins are all that remain where U.S. Special Forces conducted a raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

(CNN) - President Donald Trump declared Sunday morning that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead after a US military raid in northwest Syria over the weekend. "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead," Trump said at the White House, calling the ISIS leader's removal "the top national security priority of my administration." Trump described the situation, saying the ISIS leader "spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him." Esper described the death of the ISIS leader as a "devastating blow" to ISIS. The CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, the defense official said.

We wanted an identical -- we took an identical route," Trump told reporters on Sunday while providing a detailed account of the secret mission. While clearing the compound, US forces killed a "large number" of ISIS fighters during a gun battle without suffering casualties, according to Trump. Mazloum Abdi, the commander in chief of the Kurdish forces in Syria, said in a tweet the intelligence operations that led to the US military raid in Syria that killed Baghdadi began five months ago. White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said Sunday that the US military operation was named after American Kayla Mueller who was held hostage by ISIS and killed in 2015. We really had great cooperation," the President told reporters Sunday.

President Donald Trump answers questions before boarding Marine One while departing the White House on October 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)(CNN) - President Donald Trump admitted on Sunday the White House did not inform some key Democrats about the daring raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff called the raid an "operational success," but also said he was not informed about the raid before it took place. "I applaud President Trump's announcement that U.S. special forces have eliminated ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Boehner countered that he was briefed multiple times by the Obama administration about the raid that took down Osama bin Laden.

CNN image(CNN) - Defense Secretary Mark Esper described the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a "devastating blow" to a terrorist organization that has launched horrific attacks across the world. He formed ISIS in 2014, he led to establishing the physical caliphate throughout the region, so this is a major blow to them," Esper told Jake Tapper Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." The secretary told Tapper that President Donald Trump approved the US raid "late last week" after being presented with different options. Al-Baghdadi, the leader of the terror group, was believed to have been in hiding for the last five years. Esper said the Pentagon has confirmation that it was al-Baghdadi "through a form of visual and also DNA confirmation."

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader ISIS, had been in hiding for the last five years. (CNN) - President Donald Trump declared Sunday morning that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead after a US military raid in northwest Syria over the weekend. "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead," Trump said at the White House, calling the ISIS leader's capture "the top national security priority of my administration." The President said a US special operations forces mission went after the ISIS leader and there were no US deaths during the mission. A senior administration official said earlier Sunday that Trump approved the mission aimed at targeting ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US military raid in northwest Syria.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader ISIS, had been in hiding for the last five years. (CNN) - A senior administration official says President Donald Trump approved the mission aimed at targeting ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US military raid in northwest Syria. No US service members were killed in the operation, a US official told CNN. CNN reported early Sunday morning that al-Baghdadi was believed to have been killed in the raid, according to a senior US defense official and a source with knowledge. The CIA assisted in locating the ISIS leader, the defense official said.

MOSUL, Iraq - A preacher of hate. In its geographical scope, ISIS was the candle that burned twice as bright and burned half as long. ISIS' control of Mosul officially crumbled in July 2017, when Iraqi Prime Minster Haider al-Abadi declared that troops had recaptured the metropolis. Observing Baghdadi's ISIS, it was easy to imagine that somewhere, some time, they sat in meetings imagining ways in which to out-do their latest, most gut-wrenching atrocity. More reports suggested he was wounded again in 2017, as US-backed and other forces closed in on ISIS' territory in Syria.