Hamza bin Laden, a son of slain al Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden and himself a notable figure in the
militant group, was killed in a U.S. counter-terrorism
operation, the White House said on Saturday.
A White House statement said the operation took place in the
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
"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," the statement said.
Hamza, believed to be about 30 years old, was at his
father’s side in Afghanistan before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
on the United States. He also spent time with his father in
Pakistan after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan pushed much
of al Qaeda’s senior leadership there, according to the
Brookings Institution.
The U.S. State Department designated Hamza a global
terrorist in 2017 after he called for acts of terrorism in
Western capitals and threatened to take revenge against the
United States for killing his father.
Reuters reported on July 31 that Hamza had been killed,
citing a U.S. official with knowledge of the matter. But
Saturday's statement represents the first time the U.S.
government has confirmed the operation.