U.S. drone strike kills Al Qaeda leader

The United States conducted a drone strike that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend, the White House confirmed on Monday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The operation marks a major milestone for the U.S., as Zawahiri succeeded Osama bin Laden as the leader of the terror group in 2011.

“The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties,” a senior administration official told reporters during a call. The CIA carried out a drone attack in capital Kabul using two missiles. Al-Zawahiri was on his balcony at the time, the official said.

“Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” President Joe Biden said in a special televised address from outside the White House.

Intelligence had located al-Zawahiri’s family in Kabul earlier this year, Biden said, adding that no members of the family or civilians had been killed in the attack.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his turn, issued a statement noting that the world "is a safer place following the death of Zawahiri, and the United States will continue to act resolutely against those who would threaten our country, our people, or our allies and partners."

"By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qa’ida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries" Blinken added.  "They also betrayed the Afghan people and their own stated desire for recognition from and normalization with the international community. In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.