Kabul: Al-Qaeda has suffered a massive blow after its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan's Kabul on July 30.
Zawahiri's death happens to be the biggest setback to al-Qaeda since May 2011, when its founder and supreme leader Osama Bin Laden was assassinated by the US Special Forces in Pakistan back in 2011.
US President Joe Biden confirmed the death by saying, "the United States successfully concluded an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed the emir of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri."
"He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats, and American interests." He went on to say, "Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more," Biden said in a statement.
It is to be noted that the drone strike that eliminated Zawahiri was carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The incident unfolded when the drone fired two missiles at Zawahiri when he was on the balcony of a safe house in downtown Kabul.
According to reports, Zawahiri appeared on the balcony of a house in Kabul in the wee hours of July 31. He seemed to be loitering on the balcony outside, as US intelligence had documented he frequently did.
US officials who spoke on the condition of anoymity to describe the attack said that on this day, a drone launched two Hellfire missiles at the al-Qaida chief as he stood on the balcony.
Analysts claimed there had been widespread speculation about his presence in Afghanistan for some years. This year, the US authorities discovered that Zawahiri's wife and other family members had just relocated to a safe house in Kabul.
Officials further said that while other family members were present, Zawahiri was the only one who perished.
US President Biden said he had granted the "precision strike" on the 71-year-old al-Qaeda commander after months of preparation.
Meanwhile, the Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, strongly denounced the US drone operation that took out Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement, claimed that the attack took place on Sunday in Kabul and condemned the strike by accusing the US of violating "international principles" and the 2020 agreement on the removal of US troops after twenty years.
The US has accused the Taliban regime of providing safe heaven to terror groups like Al-Qaeda but the Taliban has vehemently denied these allegations levelled against them.
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