In a statement on Saturday morning, the White House confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, a son of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was killed during a U.S. counterterrorism operation 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. Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups."
The big picture: The announcement comes days after the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Al Qaeda has not carried out a major attack in years, per the New York Times. The militant group was possibly grooming Hamza bin Laden to become its next leader, but he mainly acted as the face of the organization.
- His death reportedly took place within the past 2 years, per officials, NBC News reports. Additional details have not been confirmed.