Top al-Qaeda leader killed by U.S. in Afghanistan, sources say

3 yıl önce

US President Joe Biden speaks to the travelling press after taking part in a working session with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, on July 15, 2022.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

WASHINGTON â President Joe Biden will announce Monday that a CIA counterterrorism strike in Afghanistan killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The strike "was successful and there were no civilian casualties," a senior Biden administration official said earlier, without confirming the identity of the target. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Biden is slated to speak from the White House at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Sunday's drone strike is the first known CIA counterterrorism operation since Kabul fell to the Taliban last year.

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