WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Hamza binLaden, the son and designated heir of Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, waskilled in a counter-terrorism operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistanborder.
“The loss of Hamza bin Laden not only deprives Al-Qaeda of importantleadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but underminesimportant operational activities of the group,” Trump said in a statementissued by the White House.
The statement did not specify the timing of the operation.
US media reported in early August, citing intelligence officials, that theyounger Bin Laden had been killed sometime in the last two years in anoperation that involved the United States.
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Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirmed the death later last month,saying it was “his understanding” that Bin Laden was dead, but Trump andother senior officials had not publicly confirmed the news.
The 15th of Osama bin Laden´s 20 children and a son of his third wife,Hamza, thought to be about 30 years old, was “emerging as a leader in theAl-Qaeda franchise,” the State Department said in announcing a $1 millionbounty on his head in February 2019 — perhaps after his actual demise.-APP/AFP
