Earlier this month, officials indicated that Osama bin Laden's son, Hamza bin Laden, had been killed by U.S. forces. On Saturday, the White House has confirmed Hamza's death, explaining that he was killed during "a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region." It is believed that Bin Laden was being groomed by al-Qaida to be a successor.
"Hamza bin Ladin [sic], the high-ranking al-Qa’ida member and son of Usama bin Ladin [sic], was killed," Trump said in a statement that included various spellings of Hamza and Osama. "The loss of Hamza bin Ladin 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. Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups."
It has still not been confirmed when exactly Hamza was killed. Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011 after U.S. special forces raided his Pakistan compound. The announcement of Hamza's death comes three days after the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Hamza was reportedly working to stage attacks against Western countries in an al-Qaida resurgence attempt. His last known public message was delivered in 2018.
