Washington DC: US President, Donald Trump, confirmed that a top Al Qaida leader was eliminated in Yemen in a drone strike.
US security forces killed Qasim al-Rimi in a counter terrorism operation in Yemen. He was the founder and leader of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It is reported that the deputy to Al Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was also killed in the drone attack.
Donald Trump said, “Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces.”
Trump added, “His death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qa’ida movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security.”
Qasim al-Rimi has been linked to many terror attacks against US interests in the region. He formed the AQAP in 2009 as offshoots of Al Qaida in Yemen. According to New York Times, the US carried out the attack last week.