Praise and caution greet news of death

WASHINGTON: Countries that bore the brunt of the terror unleased by Islamic State welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump of the successful operation that killed its chief Abu Bakr al-baghdadi.

Russia said on Monday the killing, if confirmed, would represent a “serious contribution” by Trump to fighting terrorism.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka, where 269 people were killed in April in suicide attacks claimed by IS, commended Trump for the operation, which he said “makes the world a safe place”. Baghdadi had appeared in a video praising the attacks targeting Sri Lankan churches on Easter Sunday.

French interior minister Christophe Castaner, in a letter to police prefects, called for increased vigilance to prevent possible revenge attacks.

“The possible intensification of jihadist propaganda following this death, which could possibly call for acts of vengeance, requires the most extreme vigilance, notable during public events in your departments in coming days,” Castaner said.

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that Baghdadi had distorted the image of Islam. “The kingdom appreciates the US administration’s efforts to pursue members of this terrorist organisation that distorted the real image of Islam... and committed atrocities and crimes,” said a Saudi foreign ministry source, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

The Russian military had earlier raised doubts about Trump’s announcement that Baghdadi was killed in northwestern Syria.

But President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday: “Our officers really saw US planes in the area, they saw drones in the area which could have been working there” as Trump had claimed.

Germany said its thoughts are with the many victims of Islamic State atrocities.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert cited the “murdered and enslaved Yazidis,” local people in areas where IS had taken control as well as foreign hostages, and those who were killed in IS attacks in Europe and elsewhere.

He told reporters on Monday that al-baghdadi “can’t issue such murderous orders anymore now,” but added that “this doesn’t mean that the fight against IS is over”.