Donald Trump confirms son of Osama Bin Laden killed in US operation
The son of al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden has been killed in a US counter-terrorism operation, US President Donald Trump confirmed.
It was first reported last month in US media that Hamza Bin Laden had been killed in an air strike.
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The US officially labelled him as a global terrorist in 2017.
Thought to be around 30 years old, Hamza Bin Laden was widely considered a potential successor to his father and had previously issued calls for attacks on US and other western countries.
“Hamza Bin Laden, the high-ranking al-Qaeda member and son of Osama Bin Laden, was killed in a United States counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region,” Trump said in a statement issued by the White House.
“The loss of Hamza Bin Laden not only deprives al-Qaeda of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group.”
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There was no reference to when the operation was undertaken despite reports he had been killed within the last two years.
The US government had offered a $1m reward for any information leading to his capture as late as February this year.