US Defense Minister Mark Esper has confirmed the death of Hamza Bin Laden, one of Osama Bin Laden's sons, presented as his heir to the head of al-Qaeda, reported in late July by US media .
Details of the transaction were not disclosed
Asked about the death of Hamza Bin Laden in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night, Mark Esper refrained from giving details of the operation in which he was killed. "I do not have the details, and if I had them, I'm not sure I could share them with you," said the new Pentagon chief, who took office at the end of July. When asked if he's dead, Mark Esper replies, "That's what I understand."
The US media announced at the end of July that Hamza bin Laden had been killed and that the United States had contributed to the operation to eliminate it. But his death had never been publicly confirmed.
"Crown Prince of Jihad"
Considered as the favorite son - or even the successor - of Osama Bin Laden, the founder of the network behind the September 11 attacks, the 30-year-old was on the American blacklist of people accused of "terrorism". Washington had offered in February a reward of up to a million dollars (904,000 euros at the current rate) for any information to find it.
Hamza Bin Laden is often considered the "crown prince of jihad". Documents, including letters revealed by AFP in May 2015, show that Osama Bin Laden intended him to succeed him as head of the global anti-Western jihad. Fifteen of Osama bin Laden's children, the son of his third wife, Hamza had been deposed in March of his Saudi nationality.