President Trump has confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, the son and heir of deceased Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was killed during a U.S. counterterrorism mission, Fox News reported.
The news comes just days after the 18th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a tragedy which Osama bin Laden previously claimed responsibility for.
Now, an official statement from the White House press secretary has been released which confirms that the Al-Qaeda heir has indeed been killed.
It reads, "Hamza bin Ladin, the high-ranking al-Qa’ida member and son of Usama bin Ladin, was killed in a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region."
"The loss of Hamza bin Ladin not only deprives al-Qa’ida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group," it says. "Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups."
Hamza was believed to have been born sometime around 1989. He and his father, Osama, moved to Afghanistan in 1996 and declared war against the U.S. It was Osama who oversaw operations against Western targets, resulting in the devastating September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
At the time of Osama's death, Hamza was not with him, though letters obtained at the Al-Qaeda leader's compound revealed he had been grooming his son to take over leadership of the terrorist group.
h/t: Fox News
