US drone attack in Afghanistan kills al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri

They also said that other family members were there, but they were not hurt and only Zawahiri was killed.

Mr. Biden said he had given the final go-ahead for the 71-year-old al-Qaeda leader to be killed in a “precision strike.”

After Osama bin Laden died in 2011, Zawahiri took over al-Qaeda. He worked with Bin Laden to plan the 9/11 attacks on the US, and the US called him one of its “most wanted terrorists.”

Mr. Biden said that Zawahiri had also planned other violent acts, such as the suicide bombing of the USS Cole naval destroyer in Aden in October 2000.

Mr. Biden said, “No matter where you hide, the US will find you and kill you.” He also said, “We will never stop defending our country and its people.”

Other family members were there, but only Zawahiri was slain, they claimed.

Mr. Biden approved a “precise attack” to kill the 71-year-old al-Qaeda commander.

Zawahiri took over al-Qaeda after bin Laden’s death. He planned 9/11 alongside Bin Laden and is one of the US’s “most sought terrorists.”

Biden claimed Zawahiri also plotted the suicide attack of the USS Cole in Aden in 2000.

Mr. Biden added, “We’ll locate and kill you wherever you hide.” He said, “We’ll always protect our nation and people.”

Al-ideologist Qaeda’s was Ayman al-Zawahiri.

After doing time for militant Islam in the 1980s, he fled Egypt and joined worldwide jihadist organisations.

He settled in Afghanistan and joined Osama Bin Laden. They declared war on the US and planned 9/11.

The US hunted and killed Bin Laden for a decade. After it, Zawahiri became al-head, Qaeda’s although he was distant and seldom sent communications.

The US will celebrate his demise, especially given the botched exit from Afghanistan last year, although Zawahiri wielded relatively little clout as Islamic State has grown in influence. A new al-Qaeda commander will undoubtedly have less influence than his predecessor.

His death in Kabul shows the enduring relevance of Afghanistan, where organisations may find more freedom to operate now that the Taliban are in authority and it might become a safe haven. The US has proved it can attack remotely even without ground troops.

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