President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, the son of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, "was killed in a United States counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region."
“The loss of Hamza bin Laden not only deprives Al Qaeda of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father but undermines important operational activities of the group,” the White House said in a statement. “Hamza bin Laden was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups.”
The White House did not provide any additional details, including when the operation took place.
Back in July, NBC News reported Hamza bin Laden had died "sometime in the last two years." President Trump, however, refused to comment at the time.
Earlier this year, the State Department offered a $1 million reward for any information that lead to Hamza bin Laden, Fox News reported. Although he was not the leader of Al-Qaeda, he quickly followed in his father's footsteps and climbed the ranks of the Islamic State, a rival terrorist organization.
Hamza bin Laden's father, Osama, the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks, was killed during a United States' military raid in 2011.
This is a breaking news story. As more information comes in, this post will be updated.
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