War on terror

A US military operation killed Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza, the White House confirms

A senior member of al-Qaeda and son of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, Hamza bin Laden, was killed in a US counterterrorism operation, the White House announced on Saturday.

Bin Laden’s death was first reported on July 31. The news was met with skepticism from some corners, given terrorist leaders have been reported dead before only to resurface months later. Anonymous intelligence officials cited in the reports also would not, or could not, indicate whether the US had been involved in his death, which they said had occurred within in the last two years.

Saturday’s announcement also did not say when or how bin Laden had been killed. In a statement from President Donald Trump, the White House confirmed his death and claimed responsibility for the attack that killed him:

“Hamza bin Ladin, the high-ranking al-Qa’ida member and son of Usama bin Ladin, was killed in a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region,” the statement read, using alternate spellings for the terrorist organization and bin Laden family name.

Hamza bin Laden was believed to be in his early 30s at the time of his death, and was married to the daughter of Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker in the September 11 attacks.