Osama bin Laden's son, Hamza bin Laden, has been killed in a counter-terrorism operation, according to President Trump.
It was reported in July and early August by US media, who were citing intelligence officials, that the son of the 9/11 mastermind had been killed in the last two years.
It was also confirmed by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper last month that that it was "his understanding" that bin Laden was dead. However, at that point it had not been publicly confirmed that he was dead.
Saturday morning in a statement released by the White House, President Trump said the high-ranking Al Qaeda member "was killed in a United States counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region."
"The loss will 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," the statement read.
"Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups," it continued.
More on Hamza bin Laden, per Daily Mail:
According to U.S. authorities, Hamza bin Laden carried forward the radial jihadist ambitions of his deceased father, who was the leader of Al-Qaeda and masterminded the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Hamza bin Laden released audio and video messages on the Internet, calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies, according to the Department of Justice.
He also threatened attacks against the U.S. in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by SEAL Team 6 inside a compound in Pakistan.
Hamza bin Laden's last known public statement was released by Al-Qaeda's media arm in 2018, in which he called for followers in Saudi Arabia to rise in revolt against the monarchy.
Hamza bin Laden is married to a daughter of Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, an Al-Qaeda senior leader who was indicted and charged by a federal grand jury in November 1998 for his role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
More Stories on Al Qaeda:
- Al Qaeda Leader Zawahri Calls for Jihadist Attacks on US, Israel on 9/11
- MSNBC Guest Tiffany Cross: 'Turns Out Donald Trump is the Secret Muslim President'
- Iran Admits to Aiding al Qaeda in 9/11 Terror Attacks
The September 11, 2001 attacks, led by Osama bin Laden, were the largest terrorist loss of life in American history, claiming 2,977 lives.
Never forget.