ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi believed dead in US raid in northwest Syria: Reports
Washington: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elusive chief of the Islamic State, has been killed in a raid conducted by the US special operations commandos in northwest Syria on Saturday, US media reported on Sunday.
Citing a senior US defence official and a source with knowledge, CNN reported that the final confirmation is pending while DNA and biometric testing is conducted.
"It appears that Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest during the raid," the defense official was quoted as saying. "The CIA assisted in locating him."
Meanwhile, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said that President Donald Trump will make a major announcement on Sunday morning.
Quoting an administration official, CNN said that the announcement is foreign policy related. "Something very big has just happened!" Trump earlier tweeted, without elaborating. Newsweek first reported that the world's most wanted man was believed to have been killed.
Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed Caliph, has made only one public appearance, in July 2014, in the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, announcing the birth of Islamic State's much-feared "caliphate" across swathes of Iraq and Syria. The mosque was retaken by Iraqi security forces in June 2017.
In April this year, he appeared for the first time in five years in a propaganda video released by the jihadist organisation. In the video, he referred to the battle of Baghouz, which ended in March.
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Andhra CM conducts aerial survey of key projects in North Andhra
Visakhapatnam (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday undertook an aerial survey of key development projects in the North Andhra region to assess their progress.
After a review meeting with officials on the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER), he conducted an aerial survey of projects such as Bhogapuram Airport, IT, tourism and others in a chopper, said an official release.
The CM reviewed the IT hub and Global Capability Centre (GCC) project works near Kapuluppada, where the Visakhapatnam IT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been expanded, and other projects.
Naidu issued instructions to officials to ensure efficient road connectivity to the Bhogapuram international airport and to accelerate the development of the associated township.
He also sought details on the proposal for an aviation university as part of the education hub planned at Bhogapuram.
The CM also issued directives to officials on road and rail connectivity, including logistics support for IT, pharma, industrial clusters, ports, and airports within the Visakhapatnam Economic Region.
Comprising nine districts in total, the southern state aims to transform VER into a USD 135 billion economy by 2032.
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With a population of 1.65 crore people, 38,000 sq km of area, per capita income of USD 3,170 and a workforce of 70 lakh people, VER accounts for 23 percent population and 31 percent of the state’s total area, said an official press release.
The state plans to develop the region through seven growth drivers such as global ports, next generation IT, agriculture, tourism, healthcare hub, planned urban housing and best infrastructure.
Out of six ports, four are currently operational – Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada Deep Water and Kakinada Anchorage – while Kakinada Gateway and Mulapeta ports will be the new ones.
VER aims to construct seven new railway projects, nine road projects, 77-km long Metro rail connectivity project and set up 12 manufacturing units, among others.
Further, the government aims to construct 7.5 houses (welfare), facilitate 10,000 hotel rooms construction, set up 20 medical and IT skilling colleges, add 5,000 hospital beds, develop 50 million sq ft of office space, and earmark 50,000 acres for industries and other facilities.
