Leer en Español
In a successful counterterrorism operation, the United States killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who had led the al-Qaeda terrorist organization since the fall of its founder, Osama bin Laden, in 2011.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, sources close to the matter claimed that al-Zawahri was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon, but the White House decided to wait for confirmation of the facts before making the official announcement.
A U.S. airstrike has killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, according to a person familiar with the matter.
President Joe Biden is expected to discuss further details of the operation in a 7:30 p.m. EST address to the nation. https://t.co/EHi8VqUwd2
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 1, 2022
The AP report further stated that while the White House declined to confirm or deny al-Zawahri’s death, they did claim to have conducted a successful counterterrorism operation against a key Al-Qaeda member, and assured that “there were no civilian casualties.”
Following the disastrous exit from Afghanistan, Biden vowed that the U.S. would not stop its fight against terrorism in the country and warned ISIS-K and other terrorist organizations that “we are not done with you yet.”
“We will maintain the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries. We just don’t need to fight a ground war to do it,” Biden said in a speech in late August 2021. “We have what’s called over-the-horizon capabilities, which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground — or very few, if needed.”
Tonight at 7:30 PM ET, President Biden will deliver remarks on a successful counterterrorism operation.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 1, 2022
President Biden is expected to offer an official statement on the matter on Monday night.
Tomás Lugo, journalist and writer. Born in Venezuela and graduated in Social Communication. Has written for international media outlets. Currently living in Colombia // Tomás Lugo, periodista y articulista. Nacido en Venezuela y graduado en Comunicación Social. Ha escrito para medios internacionales. Actualmente reside en Colombia.