RASC News Agency: On August 1, 2022, President Joe Biden confirmed that Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul. That morning, a powerful explosion shook parts of Kabul, with reports indicating that two missiles had hit a location in Sherpur, Kabul.
The Taliban initially reported that American drones had carried out an airstrike in Kabul. For a period, the exact nature and purpose of the strike remained unclear. However, three days later, President Biden announced in a White House press briefing that Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s top leader, had been killed in the strike.
“We killed al-Zawahiri in this attack,” Biden declared. U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters that al-Zawahiri was on the balcony of his safe house in Kabul when an American drone fired two Hellfire missiles at him. Known for their precision, Hellfire missiles are a key element of U.S. counterterrorism efforts. U.S. intelligence had been tracking al-Zawahiri for years.
Eventually, the intelligence community identified that al-Zawahiri, along with his wife, daughter, and grandchildren, had relocated to a safe house in Kabul. They pinpointed his location and targeted him, though his wife, daughter, and grandchildren survived the attack. The Taliban have yet to confirm al-Zawahiri’s death and continue to deny any affiliation with al-Qaeda.
Two years have passed, and al-Qaeda has not officially acknowledged al-Zawahiri’s death. After the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, Ayman al-Zawahiri assumed leadership of al-Qaeda. Both al-Zawahiri and bin Laden orchestrated the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Al-Zawahiri was on the U.S. list of “most wanted terrorists.”
His significant role in leading al-Qaeda led to a $25 million reward for his capture. Born on June 19, 1951, in Cairo, Egypt, al-Zawahiri came from a prominent family. He was imprisoned as a youth for his involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood and later became an ophthalmologist in Cairo. Al-Zawahiri’s role in al-Qaeda made him a key figure in planning major attacks.
Despite a year having passed since his death, al-Qaeda has not announced his successor. The U.S. strike against Ayman al-Zawahiri is seen as one of the most significant blows to the militant group since the death of its founder, Osama bin Laden, in 2011. Some American senators and senior military officials believe al-Qaeda may seek revenge within the next six months.
It is notable that the Taliban have recently refrained from confirming his death.
