Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan
Washington(PTI): Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, who played central role in 9/11 attacks and later created the terror group's regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, has been killed in a US "precision strike" in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, in the biggest blow to the global terror network since killing of its founder Osama bin Laden in 2011 in Pakistan.
Zawahiri, who assumed the leadership of al-Qaeda after the death of bin Laden, was killed in a drone strike carried out by CIA on Saturday evening at a house in Kabul where he was sheltering to reunite with his family, US President Joe Biden said on Monday, declaring that justice has been delivered and this terrorist is no more .
The 71-year-old Egyptian surgeon, who had a USD 25 million bounty on his head, was bin Laden's second-in-command during 9/11 attacks and took over as the head of al-Qaeda after his death. He remained a visible international symbol of the terror group, 11 years after the US killed bin Laden during a raid in Pakistan's Abbottabad in May 2011.
"I authorised a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield, once and for all," Biden said on Monday in a speech from the White House.
According to officials, Zawahiri was on the balcony of a safe house when the drone fired two missiles at him. Other family members were present, but they were unharmed and only Zawahiri was killed.
"He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was the mastermind of attacks against Americans, said Biden.
The US president was kept abreast of the strike against Zawahiri as he was isolated with a rebound case of Covid-19. Biden spoke outdoors on Monday from the Blue Room Balcony at the White House.
"Now, justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer," Biden said.
"The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm. We make it clear again tonight, that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out," he was quoted as saying by CNN.
Biden said the precision strike targeting was the result of the "extraordinary persistence and skill" of the nation's intelligence community.
"Our intelligence community located Zawahiri earlier this year - he moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family," Biden said.
His killing will bring closure to families of the victims of the 2001 attacks, Biden said, adding that Zawahiri had also masterminded other acts of violence, including the suicide bombing of the USS Cole naval destroyer in Aden in October 2000 which killed 17 US sailors.
The strike comes one year after Biden ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, prompting Taliban forces to rapidly seize control of the war-torn nation.
Zawahiri comes from a distinguished Egyptian family, according to the New York Times.
His grandfather, Rabia'a al-Zawahiri, was an imam at the prestigious al-Azhar University in Cairo. His great-uncle, Abdel Rahman Azzam, was the first secretary of the Arab League.
He played central role in the attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and eventually helped to mastermind the deadliest terror attack on American soil, when hijackers turned US airliners into missiles.
In September 2014, Zawahiri had announced the creation of Al-Qaeda's regional affiliate - the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), taking advantage of sanctuaries in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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Man accused of killing vlogger girlfriend in Bengaluru arrested
Bengaluru: A man accused of killing his vlogger girlfriend in Bengaluru and spending two days with her body has been arrested, according to police sources. Reports suggest he was arrested outside Karnataka, indicating that he fled the state after the alleged crime.
The victim, Maya Gogoi, a vlogger from Assam, was reportedly killed by her boyfriend, Aarav Hanoy, at a serviced apartment in Bengaluru earlier this week.
In a disturbing revelation, police stated that Hanoy spent two days with Gogoi's corpse, during which he was said to have smoked cigarettes while sitting in front of the body.
Following the crime, Aarav Hanoy left the serviced apartment in a taxi and traveled to the Majestic area in Bengaluru's Central Business District. He then switched off his phone, making it difficult for the authorities to trace him.
Police had formed two special teams to locate Hanoy and launched a manhunt, which eventually led to his arrest.
Maya, who lived with her sister in Bengaluru's HSR Layout, had informed her sister on Friday that she would not be returning home as she was attending an office party. On Saturday, she sent another message stating she was partying again that night.
Maya’s sister informed the police that the couple had been in a relationship for the past six months after meeting on social media.
