Hamza bin Laden, the supposedly dead son of Osama bin Laden, is reportedly alive and leading al-Qaeda operations from Afghanistan, according to British and Indian media, which cited defense experts.
Hamza, now 43, was believed to have been killed in a 2019 CIA operation, but recent reports suggest he survived and is actively commanding the terrorist network alongside his brother, Abdullah bin Laden.
According to Mint, citing The Mirror, the two brothers have established at least 10 al-Qaeda training camps across Afghanistan, while forging alliances with other extremist groups hostile to the West. “The parallels between the current situation and the prelude to the 9/11 attacks are alarming,” the Mirror reported, quoting intelligence analyses that link the rise of extremist activities in Afghanistan to the lack of a stable, legitimate government and ideological alignment between the Taliban and these groups.
Further reports suggest that al-Qaeda, the group behind the September 11 attacks, is regrouping under Hamza’s leadership and preparing for future attacks. Intelligence sources indicate Abdullah bin Laden is also heavily involved with the organization. The camps are reportedly located in provinces including Helmand, Ghazni, and Nangarhar, among others.
The resurgence of al-Qaeda comes just over a year after the U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor. The Taliban has yet to confirm Zawahiri’s death, raising further concerns about the relationship between the ruling regime and terrorist factions. Additionally, Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American detained by the Taliban, has allegedly been handed over to al-Qaeda, according to his family.
Regional and international analysts have voiced growing concerns that Afghanistan under Taliban rule has become a breeding ground for terrorist activity, with groups like al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) gaining footholds in the country. The UN Sanctions Monitoring Group also recently reported that al-Qaeda has set up training centers in at least 12 Afghan provinces, in cooperation with TTP.
Despite these concerns, the Taliban continues to deny that Afghanistan poses a threat to any other country’s security. However, security experts remain wary. “Al-Qaeda, with the economic resources and secured environment it has in Afghanistan, is seen as an undeniable threat to the region and the world,” said Mohammad Radmanesh, a former Afghan military officer.
