Nairobi News

HashtagNews

Osama Bin Laden’s son, Hamza, reported dead by US intelligence

By Amina Wako August 1st, 2019 1 min read

The US intelligence believes the son of Al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, Hamza, has died.

According to CNN, the US had a role in his death but did not provide details.

An official added that the US government recently received evidence that it believes corroborates his death.

The reports said Hamza was killed in a military operation in the last two years and the US government was involved, but the exact date and time were unclear.

WHEREABOUTS

In February this year, the US government offered $1m for information leading to his whereabouts.

According to the New York Times, when the State Department offered the reward, Hamza death had not yet been confirmed by the US government.

The US government had accused the young Bin Laden of encouraging attacks against the US after he released audio and video messages calling for attacks on the US and other countries.

The reports were first carried by NBC and the New York Times.

US President Donald Trump refused to comment on the issue when asked by reporters on Wednesday, as did the White House National Security Adviser John Bolton.

FATHER’S DEATH

Hamza had urged jihadists to avenge his father’s killing by US Special Forces in Pakistan in May 2011.

Last year, in his last known public statement, he called on the people of the Arabian Peninsula to revolt. Saudi Arabia stripped him of his citizenship in March.

He was believed to have been under house arrest in Iran but other reports suggest he also may have resided in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria.

The US state department said documents seized in the 2011 raid on his father’s house in Abbottabad, Pakistan, suggested Hamza was being groomed to take over the leadership of Al-Qaeda.