Hamza bin Laden, the son of late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been killed according to a statement from President Donald Trump. According to the statement, bin Laden was “killed in a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.”
There was no time period given for the death, though reports from back on July 31 claimed the U.S. believed that Hamza bin Laden had been killed, with CNN citing a U.S. official. It was noted that U.S. forced has a role in the death but nothing was confirmed at the time.
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“The loss 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 on the death.
Trump confirms late al Qaeda leader’s son Hamza bin Laden killed in US operation. He did not give a time period for the death https://t.co/1YwZ9amtpn pic.twitter.com/EvTCULQLIg
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 14, 2019
The son of the infamous terrorist leader was described as an “emerging leader” in the terrorist group earlier in the year, with the U.S. State Department offering a $1 million reward for any information that could lead to his capture.
According to CNN, Saudi Arabia revoked bin Laden’s citizenship earlier in the year following a roya order from the Interior Ministry in the nation.
Osama bin Laden was famously killed in a Navi SEAL raid in 2011 after his hiding place had been discovered in Pakistan. This ended a manhunt that started shortly after the attacks on 9/11 in 2001 and led to the invasion of Afghanistan by the United States. This death was announced by President Barack Obama in a late-night address to the nation, sparking celebrations across the nation in the wake of the news.
The younger bin Laden’s death seems to on a looser timeline, with reports from July onward indicating he was dead. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper seemed to confirm the death during a Fox New interview back in August but some researchers were puzzled by lack of confirmation during the period.
Hamza bin-Laden, the once possible heir to al-Qaeda, was killed in U.S. operation, Trump says https://t.co/PjnQeXOWDG
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 14, 2019
“If Hamza bin Laden has indeed been dead for months, you would expect al Qaeda to have released some form of eulogy before today. The fact they haven’t is highly unusual, given his status in the group,” terroism analyst Paul Cruickshank told CNN.
