Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis, has been killed during a US military raid in northern Syria, Donald Trump has has announced.

In a press conference on Sunday, the president described how the terrorist leader was chased into a tunnel where he detonated an explosives vest, killing himself and three of his children.

Although al-Baghdadi’s death had been reported last night by US media, incorrect rumours of his death have occurred on a number of occasions.

The president teased the news on Saturday night, tweeting without explanation: “Something very big has just happened!”

This is what we know about the Isis leader and why his death is significant.

Timeline of the Isis caliphate Show all 19 1 /19 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Timeline of the Isis caliphate ISIS began as a group by the merging of extremist organisations ISI and al-Nusra in 2013. Following clashes, Syrian rebels captured the ISIS headquarters in Aleppo in January 2014 (pictured) AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared the creation of a caliphate in Mosul on 27 June 2014 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis conquered the Kurdish towns of Sinjar and Zumar in August 2014, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Pictured are a group of Yazidi Kurds who have fled Rex Timeline of the Isis caliphate On September 2 2014 Isis released a video depicting the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff. On September 13 they released another video showing the execution of British aid worker David Haines Timeline of the Isis caliphate The US launched its first airstrikes against Isis in Syria on 23 September 2014. Here Lt Gen William C Mayville Jnr speaks about the bombing campaign in the wake of the first strikes Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis militants sit atop a hill planted with their flag in the Syrian town of Kobani on 6 October 2014. They had been advancing on Kobani since mid-September and by now was in control of the city’s entrance and exit points AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Residents of the border village of Alizar keep guard day and night as they wait in fear of mortar fire from Isis who have occupied the nearby city of Kobani Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Smoke rises following a US airstrike on Kobani, 28 October 2014 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate YPG fighters raise a flag as they reclaim Kobani on 26 January 2015 VOA Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis seized the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on 20 May 2015. This image show the city from above days after its capture by Isis Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces are stationed on a hill above the town of Sinjar as smoke rises following US airstrikes on 12 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces enter Sinjar after seizing it from Isis control on 13 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi government forces make the victory sign as they retake the city of Fallujah from ISIS on 26 June 2016 Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi forces battle with Isis for the city of Mosul on 30 June 2017 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of the Iraqi federal police raise flags in Mosul on 8 July 2017. On the following day, Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi declares victory over Isis in Mosul Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Female fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim Square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria in January 2019 They were among the last civilians to be living in the ISIS caliphate, by this time reduced to just two small villages in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Richard Hall/The Independent Timeline of the Isis caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate, on Saturday 26 January 2019 Richard Hall/The Independent

Who was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?

Al-Baghdadi is believed to have been born in the Iraqi city of Samarra in 1971.

However, little is known about his life and background before Isis became internationally known, with only two publicly available photos of him reportedly available before 2014.

During the US invasion of Iraq, al-Baghdadi was detained by US forces in February 2004 and sent to Bucca prison after founding a militant Sunni group to fight American troops.

Shortly after his release from prison, he joined al-Qaeda’s Iraqi division and rose to become its leader in 2010.

Three years later, after expanding into Syria, he announced the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) and broke away from al-Qaeda.

In 2014, al-Baghdadi made a rare public appearance to declare himself the caliph (leader) of the global Muslim community – a claim that was rejected by almost all Islamic religious groups.

He has rarely been seen since, but has infrequently resurfaced in audio tapes and videos posted online.

Incorrect reports of his death

Due to the secrecy around al-Baghdadi’s life and whereabouts, there have been multiple incorrect reports of his death or serious injury.

He was reportedly severely injured in an airstrike on 18 March 2015 in a part of Mosul, Iraq.

In 2016, several Middle Eastern news outlets incorrectly reported al-Baghdadi had been killed in a US airstrike in Raqqa, Syria.

One year later, Russia’s military claimed it had killed the Isis leader, with Iran claiming it had confirmed his death.

However, James Mattis, then US defence secretary, cast doubt on those claims and said he believed al-Baghdadi was still alive.

Why is his death important?

Isis surrendered its final territorial stronghold in Syria earlier this year, prompting Mr Trump to say the terrorist group had been defeated.

Despite these losses, there have been concerns Isis could re-emerge after the withdrawal of American troops from the region, with tens of thousands of Isis fighters and their families in makeshift prisons in northeastern Syria.

The death of al-Baghdadi is important because he acted as a symbol of the group’s supposed legitimacy as well as its leader – for example, he has claimed he came from the same tribe as the prophet Muhammad.