A CIA drone strike has killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, according to five people familiar with the matter.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden expressed hope Monday that the killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri brings “one more measure of closure” to families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The strike, carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency, was confirmed by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity before Biden was set to brief the American people on the details of the operation in a 7:30 p.m. EDT address to the nation. The house Al-Zawahri was in when he was killed was owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, according to a senior intelligence official. The official also added that a CIA ground team and aerial reconnaissance conducted after the drone strike confirmed al-Zawahri’s death. Planning for the operation began six months ago, but intensified in the last two months, the official said.
Zawahri, on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list, had a $25 million bounty on his head for any information that could be used to kill or capture him. “The strong contingent of Egyptians applied organizational know-how, financial expertise, and military experience to wage a violent jihad against leaders whom the fighters considered to be un-Islamic and their patrons, especially the United States,” Steven A. Cook wrote for the Council on Foreign Relations last year.
But even before bin Laden’s death, al-Zawahri was struggling to maintain al-Qaida’s relevance in a changing Middle East. In contrast, al-Zawahri was notoriously prickly and pedantic. He picked ideological fights with critics within the jihadi camp, wagging his finger scoldingly in his videos. Even some key figures in al-Qaida’s central leadership were put off, calling him overly controlling, secretive and divisive.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Report: US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, Biden to address nationWhite House officials declined to confirm al-Zawahri was killed but noted in a statement that the United States conducted a 'successful' counterterrorism operation on an al-Qaida target.
Read more »
Biden: 'Justice has been delivered' in US strike killing al-Qaida leader al-ZawahriABC13 is your source for breaking news from Houston and the surrounding neighborhoods. Watch live streaming video and stay updated on Houston news.
Read more »
Biden to speak on operation against al-Qaida in AfghanistanPresident Joe Biden was set to address the nation Monday following what the White House says was a 'successful' counterterrorism operation on an al-Qaida target in Afghanistan over the weekend.
Read more »
Biden to speak on operation against al-Qaida in AfghanistanPresident Joe Biden is set to address the nation Monday following what the White House says was a 'successful' counterterrorism operation on an al-Qaida target in Afghanistan over the weekend.
Read more »