On Trump's orders, U.S. forces killed the leader of an al-Qaeda branch in Yemen. Kasim Al-Rimi has been at the top of the terror network there since 2015.
Washington - The United States killed the leader of the Al Qaeda branch of the Islamist terrorist network there during an operation in Yemen. The attack was ordered by US President Donald Trump, the White House said on Thursday (local time). Kassim Al-Rimi has headed the Al Qaeda terror group on the Arabian Peninsula (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula / AQAP) since June 2015. His predecessor was also killed in a US drone attack in Yemen. The government headquarters in Washington did not disclose exactly when Al-Rimi was killed.
Al-Rimi was previously the military chief of the terrorist group, which is considered the most powerful branch of the Al Qaeda network. The terrorists received a reward of up to $ 10 million. The US authorities have linked him to numerous attacks. These included the attack on the US embassy in Yemen in 2008.
Al-Rimi worked for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, the White House said. Under Al-Rimi, AQAP had committed “unscrupulous violence” against civilians in Yemen and tried to launch numerous attacks against the United States and its armed forces. His death had come closer to eliminating threats to national security by groups such as Al Qaeda.
The New York Times had reported in late January that Al-Rimi may have been killed in an airstrike. Trump had posted reports about it on Twitter, but confirmation was pending.
Trump is likely to use the attack to underline his determination to fight terrorism. In October, U.S. military special forces tracked down the leader of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia in northwest Syria. Trump also boasts of the US air raid on top Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani. After his death in January, tensions in the Middle East escalated dangerously.
In Yemen, the US armed forces have been flying drone strikes on Al Qaeda members for years. The US secret services also use drones, but usually do not confirm their use. The terrorist organization benefits from the chaotic conditions in the civil war country.
