"Hamza bin Laden, the top al-Qaeda leader and son of Osama Bin Laden, was killed in a US-led counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan / Pakistan region," said Donald Trump Saturday in a statement, without specifying the exact date of this operation. The death of bin Laden was first mentioned at the end of July.
"The loss of Hamza bin Laden not only deprives al-Qaeda of its authority and its symbolic connection to his father, but also undermines the group's important operational activities," the US president added. In late August, Defense Minister Mark Esper was the first US official to speak publicly about the death of Hamza bin Laden. Asked in a television interview to find out if he was dead, the minister replied: "That's what I understand."
Up to $ 1 million in rewards for any information
He had, however, refused to dwell on the question: "I do not have the details, and if I had them, I'm not sure I could share them with you." The information is confirmed today.
Considered the designated successor of Osama Bin Laden, founder of the network behind the attacks of September 11, 2001, Hamza bin Laden, in his thirties, was on the US blacklist of people accused of "terrorism. ". Washington offered in February a reward of up to $ 1 million for any information to find it.
Fifteen of Osama bin Laden's children, the son of his third wife, Hamza had been deposed in March of his Saudi nationality.