Ayman al-Zawahiri, the commander of Al Qaeda and one of the 9/11 plotters, was killed in an airstrike in Kabul.
The US does not have DNA evidence of the murder of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, but “many” other sources have confirmed his identity, according to the White House.
Al-Zawahiri, one of the 9/11 plotters, was murdered by a US drone strike on a residence in the Afghan capital where he and his family had been sheltering.
Sunday morning, while standing on the balcony of a safe home, the Egyptian terrorist leader was struck by two hellfire missiles.
It was the residence of Sirajuddin Haqqani’s top adviser, according to an unidentified senior US intelligence official.
John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, stated that US officials lacked DNA confirmation of his death but added, “Quite honestly, given the many sources and techniques from which we’ve acquired information, we don’t need it.”
He stated at a White House news briefing that US authorities had “visual evidence and evidence obtained through other ways” that “guided us to the certainty before that this was the individual, and that led us to the determination after, with a high degree of confidence, that he was no longer with us.”
Mr. Kirby stated that the US judgment of “high confidence” was based on “what people did on the ground subsequently.”
By harboring and protecting al-Zawahiri, according to the United States, the Taliban “grossly” breached the 2020 Doha Agreement on the terms of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Mr. Kirby told reporters that the missile attack proved Afghanistan “isn’t a haven” for terrorists and “isn’t moving forward.”
The US is aware that there are still “core” al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan, but the number is “not very large,” he added.
According to a report by monitors, AQ combatants, estimated to number between 180 and 400, are represented “at the individual level” among Taliban fighting formations.
US Vice President Joe Biden announced the execution from the White House Blue Room balcony, stating, “Justice has been served.”
Mr. Biden continued, “This terrorist commander is no more,” before expressing his hope that the assassination gives “one more measure of closure” to the relatives of the almost 3,000 victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
The president stated that Afghanistan will “never again become a haven for terrorists” after the strike was conducted nearly a year after the withdrawal of US forces.
Mr. Biden stated that none of the 71-year-family old’s members nor any civilians were hurt.
The FBI had offered $25 million (£20 million) for “information leading to the detention or conviction” of the terrorist commander, whose death marks the worst blow to al Qaeda since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 by US special forces.
The mission to assassinate al-Zawahiri was planned for many months, according to a senior US government official.
On 1 July of this year, Mr. Biden was initially informed of a possible operation to eliminate the al Qaeda leader.
However, intelligence indicated that his wife and children had relocated to Kabul much earlier in the year. It was previously believed that he and his family were hiding in Pakistan.
The family was tracked to a safe home where, according to a US official, al-Zawahiri was eventually located.
He was observed for several months and his lifestyle was documented. He never left the house, but he did spend some time on a balcony where he was ultimately murdered.
On 25 July, a comprehensive proposal was delivered to Vice President Biden, who, according to an administration official, demanded “granular level involvement” due to the emphasis on taking “every effort… to minimize civilian casualties.”
To avoid civilian casualties, the Americans were able to analyze the house’s construction thanks to intelligence.
The person stated that the death of al-Zawahiri is “a severe blow to al Qaeda and will diminish their operational capacity.”
