Donald Trump says U.S. forces kill second top Islamic State leader

U.S. troops have killed a second top Islamic State official, the likely successor to slain leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, President Trump said Tuesday.

“Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!”

The death of Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, a spokesman for the Islamic State, is another major blow to the extremist group. He was killed in a separate operation, a joint raid between Kurdish-led and U.S. forces in northern Syria.

Al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest as U.S. special operations troops closed in on him at a compound in Syria last weekend.

Mr. Trump told a police chiefs’ convention on Monday that al-Baghdadi was “dead as a doornail.”