According to a top American general, the US service dog that was injured during the raid at the hideout of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northwestern Syria has returned to service. Speaking to reporters at a Pentagon news conference on Wednesday, US Central Command Commander General Kenneth McKenzie said the dog is a four-year veteran of the SOCOM Canine Program and has been a member of approximately 50 combat missions.
"He was injured by exposed live electrical cables in the tunnel after Baghdadi detonated his vest beneath the compound,” the general said, adding the dog, whose name was not revealed, has returned to duty.
McKenzie said that US special operations command military working dogs are critical members of the US forces.
These animals protect US forces, save civilian lives, separate combatants from noncombatants, and immobilize individuals who express hostile intent, he said.
These special dogs are very good at scenting humans and going after them when they're not immediately obvious.
Baghdadi's safe house in northwest Syria was stormed on Sunday by special forces along with military working dogs and chased the world's most wanted terrorist leader as he tried to flee. He was cornered in a tunnel beneath the building.
Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump had shared a picture of the dog who was wounded during the daring operation on Islamic State (ISIS) chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria.
Taking to Twitter, Trump said, "We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi!"
Earlier, a Washington Post journalist Dan Lamothe confirmed from a source that the wounded dog is doing fine and said that the name of the canine is not 'Classified' but is classified.
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