Giving a sigh of relief to America, President Donald Trump in a statement on Saturday said late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza bin Laden had been “killed in a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region,” without giving a time period for the operation or the death.”
“The killing of Hamza bin Ladin not only deprives al-Qa’ida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group,” Trump said in the statement. He also said “Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups.”
CNN had previously reported on July 31 that the US believed Hamza bin Laden was dead, citing a US official. The official told media at the time that the US had a role in this death but did not provide details.
Earlier this year the US State Department called bin Laden, who was believed to be in his early 30s, an “emerging” leader in the terror group, offering a million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
The State Department said items seized from the elder bin Laden’s hiding place in Pakistan during the US Navy SEAL raid in 2011 that resulted in his death indicated he was grooming Hamza bin Laden to replace him as al Qaeda’s leader.
Saudi Arabia had earlier revoked Hamza bin Laden’s citizenship.
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