On July 31, two hellfire missiles fired from a drone that targeted a house in the Sherpur locality under Police District (PD) 10 of Kabul city, the national capital, reports Ariana News. Later, United States (US) officials confirmed that Al Qaeda Emir (head) Ayman al-Zawahri (71) was killed in a “tailored airstrike” in a ‘counterterrorism operation’ by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Kabul city, reports AP on August 2. According to a senior intelligence official, the house in which Al-Zawahri was staying was owned by a top aide to Taliban’s Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. The official also added that a CIA ground team and aerial reconnaissance conducted after the drone strike confirmed his death.
In addition, US President Joe Biden was briefed on July 1 in the White House Situation Room, on the proposed strike by his national security aides, reports Reuters. According to officials, President Biden, also asked officials to consider the risks the strike could pose to American Mark Frerichs, who has been in Taliban captivity for more than two years, and to Afghans who aided the U.S. war efforts who remain in the country. Further, the U.S. lawyers also considered the legality of the strike, concluding that al-Zawahiri’s continued leadership of the terrorist group and support for al-Qaida attacks made him a lawful target. Later on, July 25, as President Biden was isolated in the White House residence with COVID-19, he received a final briefing from his team. Finally, President Biden was informed on late July 30 that the operation has been initiated and after the strike happened on July 31. A further 36 hours of intelligence analysis would follow before U.S. officials began sharing that al-Zawahri was killed, as they watched the Haqqani Taliban network restrict access to the safe house and relocate the dead al-Qaida leader’s family. U.S. officials interpreted that as the Taliban trying to conceal the fact, they had harbored al-Zawahri.
Later, on August 1 the US President Joe Biden announced the killing of Ayman al-Zawahri (71), reports AP. President Joe Biden said, “He will never again, never again, allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist safe haven because he is gone and we’re going to make sure that nothing else happens.” He further added, “This terrorist leader is no more”. According to the White House website’s press release of US President speech Joe Biden, “After relentlessly seeking Zawahiri for years under Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, our intelligence community located Zawahiri earlier this year. He had moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family. After carefully considering the clear and convincing evidence of his location, I authorized a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield once and for all. This mission was carefully planned and rigorously minimized the risk of harm to other civilians. And one week ago, after being advised that the conditions were optimal, I gave the final approval to go get him, and the mission was a success. None of his family members were hurt, and there were no civilian casualties”.
Separately, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of "international principles", reports Tolo News August 1. The Long War Journal reports the Zabihullah Mujahid’s statement as, “On the second day of the first month of the current year 1444 Hijri, an air strike was carried out on a residential house in Sherpur area of Kabul city. The nature of the incident was not revealed at first. The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found that the attack was carried out by American drones. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns this attack on any pretext and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement. Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan and the region. Repeating such actions will damage the available opportunities.”