"So this is Conan, right now probably the world's most famous dog." In a stream of superlatives, US President Donald Trump on Monday introduced the world to the military dog involved in the raid that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. "Conan did a fantastic job," Mr Trump said. "So brilliant, so smart." He was joined for the event by first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who lavished fulsome praise of his own on the four-legged hero. "The dog is incredible," Mr Trump continued. "Conan is a tough cookie and nobody is going to mess with Conan." According to the US account of last month's raid, Conan cornered Al Baghdadi in a dead-end tunnel in his Syrian hideout, where the terrorist leader detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and two children. Conan was injured by electric cables exposed in the detonation but appeared to have made a full recovery. "Conan was very badly hurt, as you know," Mr Trump said. "They thought maybe he was not going to recover. "He recovered actually very quickly and has since gone on very important raids. "I love this dog." The president said Conan had been awarded a "medal and a plaque" for its service. Mr Trump, who ended a tradition going back more than a century by not having a dog in the White House, has made much of Conan's role in the raid. He highlighted the dog's injuries when he initially announced the October 26 operation. Mr Trump then declassified the dog's identity, a closely guarded secret, by retweeting its picture. He even published a photoshopped image of himself bestowing the canine hero with the Medal of Honour, the country's highest military distinction. Monday's ceremony triggered a brief flurry of confusion when the White House let it be known after the event that the canine "hero" was a female. But it later retracted, confirming that Conan was well and truly a good boy. Details of Conan's life, achievements and family background are scant, but he certainly comes from good stock. US Navy Seals used a Belgian Malinois in the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The head of US Central Command, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, has called Conan a "critical member of our forces", with an impressive record of 50 combat missions in four years. Mr Trump said Conan was "the ultimate fighter, ultimate everything", "prime time, age-wise" and nowhere close to retiring. "I asked one question," he said. "I said, 'What chance would a strong man have – really strong, tough, a fighter – what chance would this person have against Conan, without the guns "What chance? And I guess the answer, pretty much, was none." Mr Trump also took the chance to praise once more the raid on Al Baghdadi, who had led ISIS since 2014 and at the time of his death was the world's most wanted man. "It was a flawless attack," Mr Trump said. "We have done a lot of work since the raid. Certain things have happened that are very important."