Al-Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan, Joe Biden confirms

Terror threats against US allies including Australia may have led the US to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s secret location before he was taken out.

The hunting down and killing of al-Qaeda’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri might have stemmed from videos he posted ironically calling for Muslims to attack the Americans and its allies including Australia.

Security experts noted al-Zawahiri had begun taking more risks in recent months by releasing an unprecedented number of videos through his terror network’s official As-Sahab media.

He felt comfortable posting from Kabul since it was back in the hands of the Taliban a year ago this month.

It is believed his move to become more prominent publicly may have assisted the CIA in identifying his location in Afghanistan.

His videos bemoaned the threat of the West, warned the United Nations was secretly working about Muslims and called for attacks on America and its allies including Australia.

In its latest note, ASIO had assessed al-Qaeda was continuing to “directly and indirectly engage in, preparing, planning, assisting in and fostering the doing of acts” of terror.

Since 2004 he and Osama bin Laden had called for attacks on countries like Australia.

In 2008 al-Zawahiri specifically called out Australia through As-Sahab in responding to questions on a chat forum, claiming its soldiers were killing Muslims in support of the US and Israel.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri as he rallied fighters and supporters for jihad on August 14, 2011. Picture: AFP /SITE INTELLIGENCE GROUP

He specifically called the country out again in 2012 and more recently late last year called on followers to raise jihad with the US and its allies including Australia.

According to the latest threat assessment by ASIO from April this year: “A small number of Australians overseas are currently affiliated with Al-Qaeda”.

Joe Biden on Tuesday confirmed the US killed al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, in what marks the most significant strike against the terror group since the killing of bin Laden.

Zawahiri, a mastermind of the September 11 attacks, took over al-Qaeda after US forces killed bin Laden in 2011.

He was on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list and there was a $25 million bounty on his head.

In a televised address, the US President said he gave the final go-ahead for the high-precision strike.

“My fellow Americans … On Saturday, at my direction, the United States successfully concluded an air strike in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed the emir of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri,” Mr Biden said.

“Al-Zawahiri was Bin Laden’s leader – he was with him the whole time. He was his No. 2 man, his deputy, at the time of the terrorist attack of 9/11. He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2977 people on American soil.”

US President Joe Biden speaks on a 'successful' counter-terrorism operation that killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, from the Blue Room balcony of the White House in Washington. Picture: AFP

The US President added the terror leader was also the mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 which killed 17 American sailors and wounded dozens more.

He also played a key role in the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224, and wounding over 4500 others.

Mr Biden revealed in recent weeks al-Zawahiri called for his followers to attack the United States and allies.

“Now, justice has been delivered. And this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer,” Mr Biden said in his address, as he recovers from a rebound of Covid.

Al-Zawahiri had moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family, the president said.

He continued: “After carefully considering clear and convincing evidence of his location, I authorised a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield once and for all.

“This mission was carefully planned, rigorously minimising the risk of harm to other civilians.

“And one week ago, after being advised that the conditions were optimal, I gave the final approval to go get him. And the mission was a success. None of his family members were hurt, and there were no civilian casualties.”

A senior administration official said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a house in Kabul when he was targeted with two Hellfire missiles, an hour after sunrise on July 31, and that there had been no US boots on the ground in Afghanistan.

“We are not aware of him ever leaving the safe house. We identified Zawahiri on multiple occasions for sustained periods of time on the balcony of where he was ultimately struck,” the official said.

Earlier the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN were among outlets reporting the target’s identity, citing unidentified sources.

Two intelligence sources told Fox News Zawahiri was killed in a CIA drone strike.

A senior US official said the US carried out a “successful” operation against a “significant” al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan.

“Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counter-terrorism operation against a significant al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan. The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties,” the official said.

Osama bin Laden, left, sits with his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian linked to the al-Qaeda network in an undated photo. Picture: Visual News/Getty Images

It is the first known over-the-horizon strike by the United States on an al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan since American forces withdrew from the country on August 31, 2021.

On Saturday morning the Afghan interior ministry denied reports circulating on social media of a drone strike in Kabul, telling AFP a rocket struck “an empty house” in the capital, causing no casualties.

Early Tuesday in Kabul, however, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that an “aerial attack” was carried out on a residence in the Sherpur area of the city.

“The nature of the incident was not revealed at first. The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found in their preliminary investigations that the attack was carried out by American drones,” his tweet said.

In recent months the Taliban have largely barred media from covering the aftermath of security incidents and frequently deny or downplay any casualties.

– additional reporting AFP

Originally published as Al-Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan, Joe Biden confirms