Hamza bin Laden, a high-ranking al Qaeda member and son of slain terror leader Osama bin Laden, was killed in a U.S.-led counterterrorism operation, President Trump said Saturday.
The statement from the White House said he was killed in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, though does not say when.
Earlier reports suggested he was killed in mid-summer. The White House statement is the first official confirmation.
His death “not only deprives al-Qa’ida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group,” Mr. Trump said.
Osama bin Laden was famous for directing the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. He was killed in a Navy SEAL operation in 2011 under President Obama.
Mr. Trump said the younger bin Laden, believed to be about 30 years old, was responsible for planning and dealing with terrorist groups.
The U.S. named Hamza bin Laden as a “specially designated global terrorist” in 2017 after he called for terror attacks in the West in published recordings.
Saudi Arabia revoked his citizenship earlier this year.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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