Published 09:09 IST, January 19th 2020
Trump recalls minute-by-minute details of air strike which killed Soleimani: Report
At the Republican Donors in his South Florida estate, US President Donald Trump recounted minute-by-minute details of the airstrike that shook the world.
At the Republican Donors in his South Florida estate, US President Donald Trump recounted minute-by-minute details of the airstrike that shook the world and resulted in the killing of Iran's General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month. The US had carried out a strike near Baghdad's international airport killing Soleimani, a US-designated terrorist, along with six others on the direction of President Trump earlier this month. According to an audio obtained by an American news channel, Trump in his speech at his estate said that the Iranian General was saying "bad things about our country" which led to his ultimate decision of killing him.
'One minute to live...'
Trump recalled how Soleimani had arrived at Baghdad International Airport after which US military officials relayed the sequence of events as they watched the air raid. "They're together sir... Sir, they have two minutes and 11 seconds. No emotion. '2 minutes and 11 seconds to live, sir. They're in the car, they're in an armored vehicle. Sir, they have approximately one minute to live, sir. 30 seconds. 10, 9, 8 ...," recalled Trump.
"Then all of a sudden, boom," he said. "They're gone, sir. Cutting off. I said, where is this guy? That was the last I heard from him," said Trump.
The US President also recounted the strike that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi and joked that the dog Conan, which took part in the raid got more credit than he did. "The dog Conan became very famous," he said.
The longstanding tension between Iran and the US has surfaced again after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was slain by the US in an airstrike near Iraq's Baghdad International Airport, ordered by US President Donald Trump. Soon, two airstrikes were reported near the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone. A third attack was launched with three Katyusha rockets hitting the Baghdad’s Green Zone hosting the US officials.
Updated 09:09 IST, January 19th 2020