According to a number of people who are knowledgeable about the situation, US drone strike in Afghanistan kills al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri using a drone attack.
Zawahiri, who recently turned 71 years old, had continued to serve as a visible international emblem of the organization even after the United States killed Osama Bin Laden 11 years ago. At one point in time, he served as the personal physician of Osama bin Laden.
The death of this individual has not been confirmed by the US government as of yet. The White House announced on Monday that Vice President Joe Biden will give a speech at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on “a successful counterterrorism campaign” against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan according to news.
“The United States government carried out an anti-terrorist operation over the weekend in Afghanistan, with the goal of taking out a significant Al Qaeda target there. The mission was a success, and there were no innocent civilians hurt in the process “a high-ranking member of the government remarked.
The Vice President, who was diagnosed with a comeback case of the virus on Monday, will deliver his remarks outside from the Blue Room Balcony at the White House. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.
The United States Department of State has previously advertised a reward of up to $25 million for information that would lead directly to Zawahiri’s arrest.
A study that was released by the United Nations in June 2021 suggested that he was placed somewhere in the region that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that it was possible that he was too weak to have been included in any propaganda.
According to the New York Times, Zawahiri was born into an illustrious Egyptian family. His grandpa, Rabia’a al-Zawahiri, was an imam at al-Azhar University in Cairo. His grandfather passed away while he was a young boy. His great-uncle Abdel Rahman Azzam served in the role of the first secretary general for the Arab League.
When US airliners were hijacked and turned into missiles, the bloodiest terrorist strike ever carried out on American soil, he was an integral part of the plot.
In a videotaped message that was made public in April of 2002, al-Zawahiri is heard saying, “God almighty has provided those 19 brothers who went forth and gave their souls to Allah almighty this victory we are enjoying now.”
It was the first of many mocking messages the terrorist, who became the leader of al Qaeda after US forces killed bin Laden in 2011, would send out over the years, pushing militants to continue the battle against America and chiding US leaders. In 2011, US troops murdered bin, Laden.
Zawahiri was in a state of perpetual motion when the US-led invasion of Afghanistan was launched in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001. At one point, he narrowly evaded an attack by the United States military in the rough and hilly terrain of Tora Bora, Afghanistan, an assault that resulted in the deaths of his wife and children.
While he was serving time in prison for his role in the 1981 murder of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, he made his first appearance in public as a Muslim militant. He claimed responsibility for the murder.
“We want to communicate with people all around the world. Who exactly are we? Who exactly are we? “he stated in an interview within the detention facility.
At the period in question, al-Zawahiri was still relatively young but had already established himself as a dedicated terrorist. He had spent years plotting the overthrow of the Egyptian government and working for the establishment of an Islamic fundamentalist regime in its place. After the Egyptian leader had made peace with Israel, he enthusiastically supported the idea that Sadat should be killed.
After the assassination of Sadat, he was sentenced to three years in prison, during which time he claims he was subjected to torture. After being set free, he made his way to Pakistan, where he provided medical care to wounded mujahadeen warriors who battled against the Soviet rule of Afghanistan. These fighters were engaged in a resistance movement against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
It was at that time that he met bin Laden and discovered they shared a common cause.
In May of 1998, as he was making the announcement that his terrorist organization, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, was merging with al Qaeda, he remarked “We are working with brother bin Laden.” “We have known him for more than ten years at this point. Here in Afghanistan, we engaged in combat with him.”
The two terrorist leaders joined forces to issue a fatwa, which can be translated as a statement. The document reads, “The judgment to kill and combat Americans and their allies, whether civilians or military, is an obligation for every Muslim.”
The assaults against the United States and its facilities didn’t start until several weeks later when suicide bombers targeted the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people and the injuries of more than 5,000 others. After evading a cruise missile attack in Afghanistan that had been undertaken by the United States as a form of revenge, Zawahiri and bin Laden gloated about their good fortune.
Then there was the attack on the USS Cole that took place in Yemen in October of 2000. Suicide bombers on a dinghy exploded their boat, which resulted in the deaths of 17 American servicemen and the injuries of 39 others.
Zawahiri’s scheming of terrorist acts reached its zenith on September 11, 2001, when over 3,000 people lost their lives in assaults on the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon. Zawahiri’s plans came to fruition on that day. As a result of resistance from the passengers, a fourth hijacked airliner, which was destined for Washington, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Since that time, al-Zawahiri has increased his presence in the public eye by making several appearances on videos and audiotapes in which he exhorts Muslims to participate in jihad against the United States of America and its allies. Some of his tapes were released not long before an act of terrorism had to place.
For instance, in May of 2003, almost simultaneous suicide attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resulted in the deaths of 23 persons, nine of them were Americans. This occurred just days after a tape that was believed to include Zawahiri’s voice was made public.
