U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIL's elusive leader, died during an overnight raid carried out by the U.S. military in northwest Syria. 

The president told reporters al-Baghdadi was under surveillance for a couple of weeks and that two to three planned missions were scrapped before the successful one was launched. 

World reaction to the news has been divided, with some leaders hailing it as a turning point in fighting against terrorism while some others played down the significance.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a regular press conference on Monday that the international community should further strengthen cooperation and jointly combat terrorism

"Efforts should be made to eliminate the breeding ground of terrorism," the spokesperson noted.

UK: Battle 'not yet over' 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the death of the ISIL leader Sunday as "an important moment" but said the fight against his group "is not yet over."

"The death of Baghdadi is an important moment in our fight against terror but the battle against the evil of Daesh is not yet over," he wrote on Twitter.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the group's leaders "have twisted Islam to groom thousands of people into joining their evil cause."

Russia: No reliable info 

Moscow showed its skepticism at the news.  

Russia's Ministry of Defense said on Sunday it had no reliable information on the U.S. operation that killed ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 

"The Russian Ministry of Defense does not have reliable information on the U.S. servicemen conducting in the Turkish-controlled part of the de-escalation zone of Idlib an operation on yet another 'elimination' of the former IS (ISIL) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," Major-General Igor Konashenkov was quoted by RIA as saying.

Turkey: A turning point 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that the death of al-Baghdadi marks a turning point in the joint fight against terrorism. 

Turkey welcomes this development, Erdogan also said, adding that Turkey will continue to support anti-terror efforts as it has done in the past.

France: Just a stage 

French President Emmanuel Macron said the death of al-Baghdadi is a hard blow for ISIL but that it is just a stage in the fight against the organization. 

"Al-Baghdadi's death is a hard blow against Islamic State (ISIL), but it is just a stage. With our partners in the international coalition, the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist organization. It is our priority in the Middle East," Macron said on his Twitter feed.

Iran: Not an end 

Iran said on Sunday the death will not mean the end of the group and its ideology, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei tweeted. 

"The killing of Baghdadi will not end Daesh (ISIL) and its ideology ... which was created and flourished with the help of regional petrodollars," Rabiei tweeted.

Bahrain: A fatal blow 

Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said on Sunday on his Twitter account that the death of the ISIL leader was a fatal blow to the group.

Israel: Congratulate Trump 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on Sunday shortly after he announced that al-Baghdadi died in a raid by U.S. special forces, and labeled the event as an "impressive achievement." 

"This reflects our shared determination, of the United States of America and of all free countries, to fight terror organizations and terrorist states," a statement from his office read. 

SDF: A successful cooperation 

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday they had worked with the United States on a "successful" operation against ISIL, in an apparent reference to reports that Baghdadi is believed to have been killed in a U.S. military operation in Syria. 

"Our strong and effective operations once again confirm our strength and determination to go after [ISIL]," the head of the SDF's media office, Mustafa Bali, said on Twitter in Arabic. 

Afghanistan welcomed the killing of Baghdadi as a major blow to terrorism that is expected to weaken the South Asian branch of the Middle Eastern militant group. 

"The Afghan government strongly welcomes the U.S. forces' operation that led to the death of ... Baghdadi," a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said in a post on Twitter. 

Southeast Asian countries fighting ISIL's influence in the region lauded the killing of its leader but said security forces were preparing for a long battle to thwart the jihadist group's ideology. 

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia said on Monday they were braced for retaliation by ISIL loyalists, including "lone wolf" attacks by locals radicalized by the group's powerful online propaganda. 

(Cover: File photo of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIL's elusive leader. /VCG Photo)