On August 1 (local time), United States President Joe Biden announced that terrorist organization Al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had been killed in airstrikes. In his statement, Biden said, “I authorized a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield, once and for all.”
71-years-old Zawahiri used to be a close aide and personal physician of Al-Qaeda founder and chief Osama Bin Laden. Since Laden was neutralized 11 years ago by the US, Zawahiri had become a prominent face of the terrorist organization.
I made a promise to the American people that we’d continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 2, 2022
We have done that. pic.twitter.com/441YZJARMX
As per reports, he was hiding in downtown Kabul with the aim of reuniting with his family. As per reports, he was killed in “a precisely tailored airstrike”. The US armed forces used drones to fire two Hellfire missiles for the kill at around 9:48 PM ET on July 31. The authorization for the military action to eliminate Zawahiri was given after several meetings with the US cabinet and the key advisers. At the time of the strike, no American personnel was present in Kabul.
Furthermore, Taliban officials were not informed about the strike. The reason behind it was explained as the Taliban was aware of his presence in Kabul but chose not to inform the US officials, which was a clear violation of the Doha agreement. As per reports, the Taliban’s senior leaders allegedly took precautionary steps to conceal the presence of wanted terrorists in the area and relocated his family members rapidly. Notably, the US officials said the family of Zawahiri was intentionally not targeted during the strike.
Reaction from Taliban
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid took on Twitter to inform about the air strike. He said in Pashto, “An air strike was carried out on a residential house in Sherpur area of Kabul city on July 31.” The statement added that the nature of the incident was not revealed at first, but the later investigation found that it was done by American drones.
په کابل ښار د ډرون برید په اړه د اسلامي امارت د ویاند څرګندونيhttps://t.co/6hTyML1yXP pic.twitter.com/TpWYvvcT2v
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) August 1, 2022
He said, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns this attack on any pretext and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement. Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan and the region. Repeating such actions will damage the available opportunities.” (Translated using Google Translate)
داسلامي امارت امنیتي او استخباراتي ارګانونو دپېښې پلټنه وکړه او په ابتدائيي تحقیقاتو کې يې دا ومونده چې یاد برید دامریکايي ډرون الوتکو له لوري شوی.
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) August 1, 2022
دا برید که په هره پلمه شوی وي دافغانستان اسلامي امارت یې په کلکو ټکو غندي او دبین المللي اصولو او ددوحې تړون ښکاره سرغړونه یې بولي.
Biden called it ‘justice served’
Calling it ‘justice delivered’, Biden said Zawahiri was deeply involved in the planning of the 9/11 attack. He added, “One of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was the mastermind of attacks against Americans.”
On Saturday, at my direction, the United States successfully conducted an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed the emir of al-Qa’ida: Ayman al-Zawahiri.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 1, 2022
Justice has been delivered.
Biden said, “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,” he continued. “The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm. We make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”
Speaking about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Biden said, “[I] made the decision that after 20 years of war, the United States no longer needed thousands of boots on the ground in Afghanistan to protect America from terrorists who seek to do us harm, and I made a promise to the American people, that we continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. We’ve done just that.”
Zawahiri was a close ally of Laden
Hailing from Egypt, Zawahiri belonged to a distinguished family. He was one of the top leaders of Al-Qaeda who planned the terrorist attack of 9/11. In April 2002, a videotape was released in which he said, “Those 19 brothers who went out and gave their souls to Allah almighty, God almighty has granted them this victory we are enjoying now.” Later, after the killing of Bin Laden by the US Armed Forces in 2011, he became the Al-Qaeda leader.
Zawahiri’s first appearance as a terrorist happened back in 1981 after his involvement in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. In May 1998, he announced his association with Bin Laden. He said, “We are working with brother bin Laden.” With the announcement, he merged his terror organization Egyptian Islamic Jihad with al Qaeda. They signed a ‘fatwa’ “The judgment for killing and fighting Americans and their allies, whether civilians or military, is an obligation for every Muslim.”
Since the 9/11 attack, he regularly appeared in videos and audiotapes and urged Muslims to join the Jihad against the US and its friendly nations. His calls were turned into terrorist attacks on several instances, including a suicide bombing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that killed 23 people, including nine Americans. The US State Department had announced a $25 million bounty for anyone who would provide information that would lead to his arrest.
Zawahiri had praised Hijab protests in Karnataka and called Muskan Khan a ‘noble woman’
The now deceased Al Qaeda chief had supported the Muslim girls in a college in Karnataka where they have been demanding to wear the Islamic attire burqa to college, in violation of the uniform dress code. Making a rare video appearance, Zawahiri had penned a poem and had praised Muskan Khan, the burqa-clad woman whose video of raising ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans had gone viral.
In a nine-minute video released by Al-Qaeda’s official Shabab media, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of terror outfit Al-Qaeda, praised Muskan Khan. In the video titled “The Noble Woman of India”, which carried an infographic depicting Muskan Zainab Khan, Zawahiri recited and dedicated a poem he had composed to praise Khan.
The terrorist also attempted to incite Indian Muslims saying they needed to react to the “oppression” carried out against them by the Indian state. Zawahiri also attacked countries that have banned the hijab, along with Pakistan and Bangladesh, whom he accused of being “allies of the West”.
