US President Donald Trump confirmed yesterday the death of Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, who was considered as his successor at the head of al-Qaeda.
"Hamza bin Laden, the top al-Qaida official and son of Osama bin Laden, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation by the United States in an area between Afghanistan and Pakistan," Trump said in a statement, without giving a date for the operation.
"The killing of Hamza bin Laden not only deprives al-Qaeda of its authority and symbolic association with his father, but also undermines the organization's important operational activities."
"Hamza bin Laden planned and worked with different terrorist groups," he said. At the end of August, Defense Secretary Mark Esper was the first US official to speak publicly about the death of Hamza bin Laden. Asked about the latter's death in a television interview, he said: "That's what I learned."
But he declined to elaborate. "I have no details. Even if I had it, I wasn't sure I could reveal it to you. ”
Hamza bin Laden was considered a successor to his father Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks. The United States had blacklisted him for terrorism suspects.
In February, Washington offered a reward of up to $ 1 million for any information to help find it.
Hamza is the 15th son of Osama bin Laden from his third wife, and his Saudi citizenship was withdrawn in March.