Photo: VCG

The US military has conducted an operation in northwestern Syria targeting the head of the Islamic State (IS), but the result of the raid is yet unclear, US media reported late Saturday.

Multiple media outlets cited US government officials as saying that the US military conducted a raid in Syria earlier Saturday, targeting some of the terrorist organization's high-level members, including IS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

While some media reported that al-Baghdadi is believed to have been killed during the operation, others said he had been captured.

US President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday evening that "something very big has just happened" without clarifying the subject, though it is believed to be linked to the raid.

The White House later followed up with a statement saying that Trump will make an announcement on Sunday morning, which will likely end speculations on details of the raid.

If confirmed, the death of al-Baghdadi would hand Trump a symbolic win in the US campaign to eradicate the IS, which rose to prominence after foreign intervention in Syria and Iraq created a power vacuum in part of the two countries.

After coming under attack from regional and world powers, the IS has all but lost its territory that once covered large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

However, a recent chain of events following the sudden withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria earlier this month raised concerns of a resurgence of the group.