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Breaking News: US confirms successful drone strike on Al-Qaeda leader, Al-Zawahiri
Yemie ADEOYE
Texas-THE United States has officially announced the killing of al Qaeda leader and former Osama Bin-Laden deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike, outside Kabul, Afghanistan according to President Joe Biden.
Zawahiri, who just turned 71 years old, had remained a visible international symbol of the group, 11 years after the US killed Osama Bin Laden. At one point, he acted as bin Laden’s personal physician.
President Biden stated in a speech outside the Whitehouse that the United States has intensely searched for Al-Zawahiri under Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump.
The US intelligence community located Al-Zawahiri earlier this year as he moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family.
“After carefully considering clear and convincing evidence of his location, I authorize the precision strike that will remove him from the battlefield once and for all.
This mission was carefully planned, rigorously to minimize the harm to other civilians, and one week ago, after being advised that the conditions were optimal, I gave the final approval to go get him. The mission was a success. none of his family members were hurt, and there were no civilian casualties” Mr. Biden enthused.
Biden, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday as he deals with a rebound case of the virus, spoke outdoors from the Blue Room Balcony at the White House in a speech monitored by our reporter a few minutes ago.
Meanwhile, In a series of tweets, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, “An air strike was carried out on a residential house in Sherpur area of Kabul city on July 31.”
He said, “The nature of the incident was not apparent at first” but the security and intelligence services of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident, and “initial findings determined that the strike was carried out by an American drone.”
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Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan “strongly condemns this attack on any pretext and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement.”
Zawahiri comes from a distinguished Egyptian family, according to the New York Times. His grandfather, Rabia’a al-Zawahiri, was an imam at al-Azhar University in Cairo. His great-uncle, Abdel Rahman Azzam, was the first secretary of the Arab League.
He eventually helped to mastermind the deadliest terror attack on American soil, when hijackers turned US airliners into missiles.
“Those 19 brothers who went out and gave their souls to Allah almighty, God almighty has granted them this victory we are enjoying now,” al-Zawahiri said in a videotaped message released in April 2002.
It was the first of many taunting messages the terrorist — who became al Qaeda’s leader after US forces killed bin Laden in 2011 — would send out over the years, urging militants to continue the fight against America and chiding US leaders.
Zawahiri was constantly on the move once the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began after the September 11, 2001, attacks. At one point, he narrowly escaped a US onslaught in the rugged, mountainous Tora Bora region of Afghanistan, an attack that left his wife and children dead.
He made his public debut as a Muslim militant when he was in prison for his involvement in the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
“We want to speak to the whole world. Who are we? Who are we?” he said in a jailhouse interview.
By that time, al-Zawahiri, a young doctor, was already a committed terrorist who conspired to overthrow the Egyptian government for years and sought to replace it with fundamentalist Islamic rule. He proudly endorsed Sadat’s assassination after the Egyptian leader made peace with Israel.
He spent three years in prison after Sadat’s assassination and claimed he was tortured while in detention. After his release, he made his way to Pakistan, where he treated wounded mujahadeen fighters who fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
That was when he met bin Laden and found a common cause.
“We are working with brother bin Laden,” he said in announcing the merger of his terror group, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, with al Qaeda in May 1998. “We know him for more than 10 years now. We fought with him here in Afghanistan.”
Together, the two terror leaders signed a fatwa, or declaration: “The judgment to kill and fight Americans and their allies, whether civilians or military, is an obligation for every Muslim.”
The attacks against the United States and its facilities began weeks later, with the suicide bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 5,000 others. Zawahiri and bin Laden gloated after they escaped a US cruise missile attack in Afghanistan that had been launched in retaliation.
Then, there was the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000, when suicide bombers on a dinghy detonated their boat, killing 17 American sailors and wounding 39 others.
The culmination of Zawahiri’s terror plotting came on September 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center and Pentagon. A fourth hijacked airliner, headed for Washington, crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back.
Since then, al-Zawahiri raised his public profile, appearing on numerous videos and audiotapes to urge Muslims to join the jihad against the United States and its allies. Some of his tapes were followed closely by terrorist attacks.
In May 2003, for instance, almost simultaneous suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed 23 people, including nine Americans, days after a tape thought to contain Zawahiri’s voice was released.
The US State Department had offered a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to his capture. A June 2021 United Nations report suggested he was located somewhere in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that he may have been too frail to be featured in propaganda.
President Biden further stated that all US allies around the world have been duly informed of the development, as well as the US Congres. According to him the United States will continue to carry out its counter-terrorism mission around the world, and especially in Afghanistan, in spite of its evacuation of all American boots on the ground on Afghan soil.
The Oyo State Government has demolished a building used as a hideout by kidnappers who abducted the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her two children.
The structure, located in the Lakoun community along the Ayegun-Olojuoro Road in Ibadan, was pulled down on Monday following the successful rescue of the victims during a security operation over the weekend.
Mrs. Olaide Adegoke John-Paul, Adelabu’s younger sister, and her 12-year-old twin sons were reportedly held captive in the building before they were freed by security operatives.
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Confirming the demolition, Oyo-based media platform Oyo Affairs shared a video of the exercise on X, stating, “The Oyo State Government has demolished kidnappers’ den at Lakoun, Ayegun-Olojuoro Road, Ibadan, where the sister of former Minister Adebayo Adelabu and her children were held captive.”
The demolition followed a security assessment of the site led by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Oluwagbemiga Abimbola, on Sunday.
Another local news platform, Oyo Matters, also posted photos and videos of the operation, writing, “Oyo Government Demolishes Building Used as Kidnappers’ Hideout in Adelabu Family Abduction, Levels Property to the Ground.”
The government’s action comes days after a coordinated rescue mission that led to the safe recovery of the victims and a major breakthrough in the investigation.
During the operation, two members of the kidnapping syndicate were killed in a gun battle with security personnel, while four other suspects were arrested and later paraded at the Oyo State Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Security authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements or information that could lead to the arrest of other fleeing members of the gang.
The demolition is widely seen as part of the Oyo State Government’s efforts to dismantle criminal networks, deny kidnappers safe havens, and strengthen security across the state.
The dramatic rescue and subsequent demolition have drawn widespread attention, with many residents applauding the government’s swift response to the high-profile abduction case.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the worsening insecurity across the country is not urgently addressed.
The labour unions issued the warning during a joint media briefing held on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Expressing concern over the rising cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks in several parts of the country, the labour leaders said Nigerians can no longer continue to live in fear while carrying out their daily activities.
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The unions warned that if the security situation continues to deteriorate without decisive government intervention, organised labour may be left with no choice but to mobilise workers for industrial action nationwide.
According to the labour leaders, the persistent attacks on communities, commuters, farmers, and workers have reached an alarming level, requiring urgent and coordinated action from all levels of government.
“Enough is enough,” the labour centres declared, stressing that the protection of lives and property remains one of the fundamental responsibilities of government.
The NLC and TUC also used the opportunity to dismiss claims by some state governors that negotiations were ongoing with workers on a proposed ₦100,000 minimum wage.
They insisted that such claims do not reflect the current state of discussions on workers’ welfare and cautioned against giving the public a misleading impression about ongoing engagements with organised labour.
The unions reaffirmed their commitment to defending the interests of Nigerian workers and called on the Federal Government to take immediate and effective measures to tackle insecurity across the country.
They warned that failure to halt the rising wave of violence and criminality could trigger nationwide industrial action in the coming weeks.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has cautioned Nigerians against linking criminal activities to any ethnic group, warning that such generalisations promote division and weaken national unity.
Obi made the remarks in a statement posted on his verified X account on Monday, expressing concern over what he described as a growing tendency to stereotype entire ethnic communities because of the actions of a few criminal elements.
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The former Anambra State governor said he could identify with the experiences of many Nigerians who have faced prejudice and discrimination based on their ethnic origins, stressing that people should be judged by their character rather than their tribe.
“As an Igbo man, I have endured stereotypes, judgment, and labelling solely based on my ethnic origins. This is not an isolated Igbo experience. Most Nigerians have, at some point, been reduced to their ethnicity rather than recognised for their true character,” Obi stated.
He noted that ethnic stereotyping is a challenge faced by people across the country and should not be encouraged under any circumstance.
Obi specifically spoke about the plight of ordinary Fulani people, saying many of them are unfairly judged and blamed for crimes committed by individuals who neither represent nor have any connection to them.
“I understand the pain of the ordinary Fulani man today, often unfairly judged by the actions of criminals he does not support, has never met, and who are not representative of his people,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the civil rights movement in the United States, Obi referenced the words of renowned civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated for a society where individuals are judged by the content of their character rather than by their identity.
According to Obi, criminality is an individual act and should never be viewed as a characteristic of an entire ethnic group.
“Crime has no ethnicity. A thief is a thief. A terrorist is a terrorist. A kidnapper is a kidnapper. They are bad actors, not representatives of any people,” he declared.
The former governor urged law enforcement agencies to remain focused on identifying, arresting and prosecuting criminals without attaching their actions to entire communities.
“They must be identified, arrested, and punished according to the law. We must decisively abandon the dangerous practice of blaming entire ethnic groups for the actions of a few criminals,” Obi added.
He warned that ethnic profiling only deepens social divisions, breeds mistrust among citizens and creates opportunities for political actors to exploit differences for personal gain.
Obi further called on Nigerians to embrace the country’s diversity and focus on shared values that unite the nation rather than stereotypes that divide it.
According to him, Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity, and citizens must work together to build a society founded on fairness, justice and mutual respect.
“A new Nigeria must emerge—one where no citizen is condemned because of tribe, religion, or birthplace,” he said.
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