US kills Al-Qaeda’s top leader in Afghanistan

By: Zakeriye Ahmed, Horn diplomat correspondent

Over the weekend, the US killed Al-Qaeda’s top leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.

Ayman Al-Zawahiri was the successor of Al-Qaeda’s well-known leader Osama Bin Laden, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Zawahiri, an eye surgeon, was often referred to as Osama Bin Laden’s right-hand man.

President Joe Biden said he gave the final approval to get Al-Qaeda’s top leader, Zawahiri, as he said.

President Biden said, “After carefully considering the clear and convincing evidence of his location, I authorized a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield — once and for all,”.

President Biden said in remarks from the White House, “Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more”. “No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, we will find you and take you out.” He added.

President Biden added that Zawahiri was the mastermind behind attacks against Americans for decades.

Al-Zawahiri’s death comes almost a year after the U.S. ended its war in Afghanistan, nearly 20 years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The U.S. State Department put $25 million on Zawahiri’s head, and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world.

The 71 years old Zawahiri was born in Egypt On 1951 and came from a large family of doctors and scholars.

On May 2, 2011, Zawahiri became the chief of Al-Qaeda following the death of the founder and first leader of the group, Osama Bin Laden, who was killed in Pakistan.