President Joe Biden announced on Monday evening that the United States had killed top al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul. Al-Zawahiri, who succeeded Osama bin Laden as the head of al-Qaeda in 2011, was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. In his speech from the White House, President Biden praised the work of the U.S. intelligence community and military in carrying out the operation. He also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism and bringing those who seek to harm Americans to justice. The death of al-Zawahiri is a significant victory in the fight against terrorism, and it sends a strong message that the United States will not relent in its pursuit of those who seek to do us harm.
In a special address to the nation on Friday, President Biden announced that a precision strike had been carried out against a terrorist leader in Syria. “I authorized the precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield, once and for all,” President Biden said, adding that “justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more.”
He emphasized that the US continues to demonstrate its resolve and its capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm. “We make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out,” the president said.
The president’s remarks come just days after a series of attacks in Brussels that killed at least 31 people and injured hundreds more. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which appear to have been inspired by the group’s call for supporters to carry out attacks during the holy month of Ramadan. It is not yet clear whether the leader who was killed in Friday’s strike was directly involved in planning or carrying out the Brussels attacks.
Zawahiri had been in hiding for many years, and US intelligence officials were ecstatic when they finally located him earlier this year. A comprehensive plan was made to take him out without harming any civilians, and a handful of Biden administration officials were informed about the operation. The plan came to fruition yesterday, when a US drone strike killed Zawahiri in Kabul. This is a major victory in the war on terror, and it would not have been possible without the tireless work of the US intelligence community. Thank you for your dedication and patriotism.
In a precision counterterrorism operation conducted at the direction of President Biden, Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. This comes almost a year after Biden ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and 11 years after Osama bin Laden was killed in a special counterterrorism operation. The details of the operation were shared by a senior US administration official yesterday. While the death of Zawahiri is a significant victory in the fight against terrorism, it is important to remember that the threat of terrorism still remains. We must continue to work together to prevent future attacks and protect innocent lives.
American forces have killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike at a compound in Kabul, a senior administration official said Tuesday. Zawahiri was killed in a “precise tailored airstrike” using two Hellfire missiles, according to the official. There were no American personnel on the ground in Kabul at the time of the strike, and the Taliban were not alerted about the attack either. Zawahiri’s family members were present in other parts of the safe house at the time of the strike, and were purposefully not targeted and were unharmed. The death of Zawahiri is a significant blow to Al Qaeda, which has been largely overshadowed by its affiliateISIS in recent years. Zawahiri took over as Al Qaeda’s leader after the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. He was believed to be hiding in Pakistan before moving to Kabul within the last year. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear, and it’s unknown if he was taking part in terrorist planning at the time of the strike. Nevertheless, his death is a major victory for American forces in their ongoing fight against terrorism.
Zawahiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike on the outskirts of Kabul, a senior administration official said on Sunday. The strikes also killed “several other senior al Qaeda leaders” who were traveling with Zawahiri, the official said. The officials did not provide further details on the identities of the other leaders. The strike was conducted on Saturday night local time, the official said. Zawahiri has been in hiding for many years and his whereabouts have been unknown. U.S. officials had been tracking him for some time before the strike was carried out, the official said. “Senior Haqqani Taliban figures were aware of Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul,” the senior administration official further said. “We identified Zawahiri on multiple occasions for sustained periods of time on the balcony where he was ultimately struck.” The U.S. has been targeting al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan with drone strikes for many years. Zawahiri is just the latest in a long line of leaders who have been killed in these strikes.
The US government has confirmed that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in eastern Afghanistan. According to a senior US official, Zawahiri was killed in an operation based on “actionable intelligence” in the mountainous Kush region of Afghanistan, close to the Pakistani border. The Haqqani Taliban members removed Zawahiri’s wife, his daughter, and her children to another location, after the US drone strike. “Our ability to locate Zawahiri after years of hiding was the result of careful, patient and persistent work by our counterterrorism professionals,” the official said adding that the strike showed that without American forces on the ground in Afghanistan and in harm’s way, we remain able to identify and locate even the world’s most-wanted terrorist, and then take action to remove him from the battlefield.
Earlier this week, the Taliban confirmed that a US drone strike had taken place in the area. However, they have given no details of any casualties from the attack. The Taliban leader who spoke to The News declined to comment on who may have been killed in the strike, but did not deny that it was possible that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was among those killed. If true, this would be a major victory for the US in its ongoing fight against terrorism. While the Taliban remains a powerful force in the region, the loss of Zawahiri would be a significant blow to their capabilities. The US will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The Taliban leader said they cannot rule out involvement of spies on the ground in helping the CIA. “I am sure our intelligence department will soon trace the spies if they are among us,” he said. This is a valid concern as the Taliban have been known to target high-level government officials in the past. The head money that has been announced by the US only adds to the incentive for Taliban spies to put themselves at risk in order to help the CIA. If these suspicions are correct, it is essential that the Taliban take steps to root out any spies within their ranks and improve security for their top leaders. Otherwise, they risk further damage to their organization and their ability to effectively govern.
Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian-born ideologue who became al-Qaida’s leader following the death of Osama bin Laden, has been killed in a US drone strike, according to Taliban sources. Zawahiri is believed to have been living in remote mountains in Musa Qala in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. “Sherpur is the safest place in Kabul where there around 1000 spacious houses built by wealthy and influential people of the former government of Ashraf Ghani. They fled and left behind these houses, which are now in the use of Taliban leaders,” said the Taliban leader. The US has not confirmed Zawahiri’s death, but a spokesman for the National Security Council said that “the United States works diligently every day to bring terrorists to justice, wherever they are.” If confirmed, Zawahiri’s death would be a major blow to al-Qaida, which has been overshadowed by its rival, the Islamic State group, in recent years.
Soon after the September 11 attacks, when the US invaded Afghanistan, Dr Zawahiri went into hiding. It is thought he moved between various safehouses in tribal areas near the Afghan-Pakistan border. In an interview with Pakistani journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai in 2002, a Taliban leader revealed some details about how Osama bin Laden and Dr Zawahiri were hiding. He said they were living in small villages in eastern Afghanistan, where they were looked after by sympathetic tribesmen. Access to these villages was tightly controlled, and only trusted Taliban leaders knew the location of bin Laden and Zawahiri’s hideouts. These safehouses were simple mud-brick houses, and the only luxury bin Laden and Zawahiri had was a satellite dish so they could watch news reports about the war in Afghanistan.
While some Afghans are skeptical of the news of Al-Zawahiri’s death, many express shock that he was hiding in Kabul. US officials have not released many details about the strike, but they say they are confident Al-Zawahiri was killed. If this is true, it would be a major blow to al-Qaeda. Al-Zawahiri has been a key figure in the terrorist organization for many years, and his death would likely lead to a period of instability within al-Qaeda. However, it is also possible that al-Qaeda will simply appoint a new leader and continue on as before. Only time will tell how this news will impact the terrorist organization.
On Sunday, a senior US official said the 71-year-old Taliban leader was on the balcony of a three-storey house in the upmarket Sherpur neighborhood when targeted with two Hellfire missiles shortly after dawn. The interior ministry had denied reports of a drone strike, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday that was because an investigation was underway. Shah claimed that they have experienced such propaganda in the past and there was never anything in it. He also believes that in reality, I don’t think he was killed here. If the Taliban leader truly is dead, it would be a significant victory in the war against terrorism. However, until a more concrete investigation is conducted, these reports should be taken with a grain of salt.
The US drone strike that killed the Taliban’s top military commander in Afghanistan last week is sure to further sour already bitter relations between Washington and the Taliban. Thestrike intensified global scrutiny of Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers and further undermined their efforts to secure international recognition and desperately needed aid. The Taliban had promised in the 2020 Doha Agreement on the terms of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that they would not harbour al-Qaeda members or those seeking to attack the US. Yet a mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, who has called for striking the United States in numerous video messages in recent years, lived for months apparently sheltered by senior Taliban figures. The US has accused the Taliban of failing to live up to its commitments under the Doha Agreement, and the killing of the Taliban commander may prompt a renewed US push for a withdrawal from Afghanistan. In any case, it is clear that relations between Washington and the Taliban are at an all-time low.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has welcomed the US announcement that Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of al-Qaeda, has been killed. The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that al-Zawahiri was “considered one of the leaders of terrorism that led the planning and execution of heinous terrorist operations in the United States, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries of the world.” The statement added that the Kingdom hopes that this “achievement” will lead to the “elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.” Al-Zawahiri was believed to be hiding in Pakistan and had a $25 million bounty on his head. His death is seen as a major blow to al-Qaeda, which has been significantly weakened in recent years.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently released a statement condemning the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris. The statement noted that many innocent people from different nationalities and religions were killed in the attacks, including Saudi citizens. The Saudi government stressed the importance of cooperation and concerted international efforts to combat and eradicate terrorism. They called on all countries to work together in this framework to protect innocent people from terrorist organizations. This statement highlights the Kingdom’s dedication to fighting terrorism and its commitment to protecting its citizens and those of other nations. by working together, we can hope to put an end to these senseless attacks and keep our world safe for all people.
The spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has condemned terrorism in all its forms, in response to media queries regarding a recent counter-terrorism operation conducted by the United States in Afghanistan. The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, highlighting the country’s role and sacrifices in the fight against this global menace. He called on the international community to unitedly combat terrorism, which knows no borders or boundaries. Only through a joint and concerted effort, he said, can the world hope to stamp out this scourge once and for all.