Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - The largest blow to the terrorists since Osama bin Laden was assassinated more than ten years ago came fr...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - The largest blow to the terrorists since Osama bin Laden was assassinated more than ten years ago came from the United States when Ayman al-Zawahiri, the commander of al Qaeda, was murdered by a drone missile while he was standing on a balcony at his residence in Kabul.
Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head and assisted in planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that left over 3,000 people dead, has not been verified to have died by Afghanistan's Taliban government.
Under the condition of anonymity, U.S. sources claimed that Zawahiri was killed after he emerged from his safe home in the Afghan capital's balcony at 6:18 a.m. (0148 GMT) on Sunday and was struck by Hellfire missiles fired by a U.S. drone.
Joe Biden, the president of the United States, declared on Monday that "justice has been served, and this terrorist commander is no more."
After months of preparation, Biden claimed he gave the order to strike, adding that no civilians or family members perished.
The foreign minister of Britain, Liz Truss, declared that "the globe will be a safer place."
On Tuesday, three Taliban administration representatives declined to comment. By providing shelter to Zawahiri, the Taliban was charged by the United States with breaking a mutual understanding.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, earlier stated that a strike occurred in Kabul on Sunday and condemned it as a breach of "universal standards."
According to a spokeswoman for the interior ministry, a house in the lush Kabul neighbourhood of Sherpoor was struck by a rocket. Abdul Nafi Takor stated that there were no casualties because the house was unoccupied.
Journalists were forbidden from being close to the residence as Taliban authorities cast a wide security net around it.
A resident of the area who spoke to Reuters under the condition of anonymity said she and her nine-person family fled to their home's safe room at the weekend after hearing an explosion.
Since there was no disturbance or mayhem when she subsequently walked to the rooftop, she assumed it was a rocket or bomb attack, which are common in Kabul.
After the Taliban seized over the nation in August of last year, Zawahiri went to Kabul, according to a senior Taliban official who spoke to Reuters. Zawahiri had previously resided in the province of Helmand.
According to White House spokesperson John Kirby, who also cited "visual confirmation" and other sources, the United States does not have DNA proof that Zawahiri was killed.
He issued a warning to people harbouring al Qaeda.
He told MSNBC, "We are still going to keep watchful, we are still going to stay capable."
Following the death, the State Department issued a warning to American nationals living abroad, stating that "there is a larger potential for anti-American violence" and that "al Qaeda followers may seek to attack U.S. facilities, employees, or people."
OFFERING A SACURA
When American Navy SEALS killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, Zawahiri took over as the new head.
Tuesday's statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry stated that the country "stands by fighting terrorism in accordance with applicable UN resolutions and international law."
When asked if Pakistan had been informed in advance of the strike during a briefing on Tuesday, Kirby responded that no notifications had been made.
Zawahiri served as al Qaeda's primary planner and strategist for many years. But his capacity to incite devastating attacks on the West was limited by a lack of charm and competition from the Islamic State, a rival extremist group.
Zawahiri's death has been claimed to have occurred multiple times in recent years, and he has long been thought to be ill.
Since the disorderly withdrawal of American and ally troops and diplomats in 2021, the drone attack is the first known American strike inside Afghanistan.
The murder may increase public confidence in Washington's claims that it can still handle Afghan security issues without a military presence there.
Democratic U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski said, "I was critical of President Biden's choice to leave Afghanistan, but this strike shows we still have the capability and determination to act there to protect our country."
Questions regarding whether Zawahiri received protection from the Taliban are also raised by Zawahiri's passing.
Senior Taliban leaders are aware of his presence in Kabul, according to a senior U.S. administration official, and the US expects the Taliban to uphold a commitment not to permit al Qaeda forces to re-establish themselves there.
By hosting and sheltering Zawahiri, the Taliban, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, "grossly violated" the terms of the Doha Agreement between the two parties.
Zawahiri had been speculated to be somewhere else in Afghanistan or in the tribal region of Pakistan prior to the U.S. statement.
Rumors of his death were dispelled by a video he recorded in April in which he commended an Indian Muslim woman for disobeying a law prohibiting the wearing of an Islamic head scarf.
SAME HOUSEWIFE, FAMILY, AND GUESTS
The senior U.S. official claimed that after learning that Zawahiri's wife, daughter, and children had moved into a safe home in Kabul this year, the U.S. discovered that Zawahiri himself was also there.
He was recognised numerous times on the balcony before being attacked. The official claimed that he kept making films from the home and that some of them would be made public after his passing.
Biden gathered officials to review the intelligence in recent weeks. He received updates all throughout May and June, and on July 1, intelligence chiefs gave him a briefing on a planned operation.
According to the official, on July 25, Biden got a revised report and gave the go-ahead for the strike when the time was right.
According to the website Rewards for Justice, Zawahiri and other senior al Qaeda members are thought to have planned the attack on the USS Cole naval vessel in Yemen on October 12, 2000, which left 17 American sailors dead and more than 30 more injured.
He was charged in the US for his involvement in the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998, which resulted in 224 fatalities and over 5,000 injuries.
When American-led forces overthrew Afghanistan's Taliban regime in late 2001 after the September 11 attacks, both bin Laden and Zawahiri managed to escape custody.
