Ayman al-Zawahiri
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a counter-terrorism operation in Afghanistan, American media are reporting.
They say he was killed in a drone strike carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Sunday.
There is no independent confirmation of this at present.
However, the White House says that President Joe Biden will give details of the operation in Afghanistan in the next few hours.
CBS News said three sources had confirmed the killing. The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN also quoted unidentified sources identifying the victim.
Zawahiri took over al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. He and Bin Laden masterminded the 9/11 attacks on the United States together and he was one of the US’s “most wanted terrorists”.
A senior US official earlier confirmed there had been a “successful” operation against a “significant” al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan.
The operation took place over the weekend and there were no civilian casualties, the official added.
At the same time, a Taliban spokesman reported that a US drone strike had taken place on Sunday in a residential area of Kabul.
He described it as a clear violation of international principles.
“Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan and the region,” the spokesman added.
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