Two years after Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, questions about his death continue to linger. His death happened in late July 2022.
The morning of the strike, a loud explosion shook parts of Kabul. It was reported that two missiles struck an area in the city’s Sherpur neighborhood. The Taliban stated that American drones had conducted an airstrike in Kabul.
Three days later on August 2, 2022, US President Joe Biden announced in a White House press briefing that Ayman al-Zawahri, the number one leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in the attack.
At the time, U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters that al-Zawahri was on the balcony of his hideout in Kabul when an American drone fired two Hellfire missiles at him. These missiles, known for their precision, are a key component of the U.S. counterterrorism operations.
The officials also revealed that U.S. intelligence had been monitoring al-Zawahri for years. Eventually, they tracked him to a safe house in Kabul, where he had relocated with his wife, daughter, and grandchildren. While al-Zawahri was killed, his family members survived the attack.
Taliban has yet to confirm al-Zawahri’s death in Kabul and continue to deny any connection with al-Qaeda.
Now, two years later, al-Qaeda has still not officially confirmed al-Zawahri’s death.
Who was Ayman al-Zawahri?
Ayman al-Zawahri took over the leadership of al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden’s death in 2011. He and bin Laden were the masterminds behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Al-Zawahri was listed as one of the “most wanted terrorists” by the United States.
His prominent role in leading al-Qaeda led the U.S. government to place a $25 million bounty on his capture.
Born on June 19, 1951, in a prominent family in Cairo, Egypt, al-Zawahri was imprisoned as a teenager for his involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood. He went on to become an eye surgeon in Cairo.
Al-Zawahri’s activities with al-Qaeda earned him a reputation as the mastermind behind the network’s major attacks.
A year after his death, al-Qaeda has yet to officially announce his successor.
The U.S. strike on al-Zawahri is considered the biggest blow to the militant group since the death of its founder, Osama bin Laden, in 2011. Some U.S. senators and senior military commanders believe that al-Qaeda may seek to avenge his death within the next six months.
