Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reports , citing sources. Information is also confirmed by publications Politico and Reuters. He led a terrorist organization after the elimination of bin Laden.

Al-Zawahiri was reportedly killed in a drone strike over the weekend, but the official announcement was delayed pending confirmation of the death of the terrorist leader. The White House has not yet confirmed the killing of al-Zawahiri, and an appeal from US President Joe Biden is expected.

In 2021, there were suggestions that al-Zawahiri was already dead then. Such versions were put forward due to the fact that on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a video appeared with the leader of the terrorists, in which he says that “Jerusalem will never be Jewish”, and positively assesses the attacks of the movement, including the attack on the Russian military in Syria. AP notes that al-Zawahiri also mentioned the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, but did not touch on the topic of the Taliban takeover of the country.

There were also rumors about his death from the disease earlier in 2020. From the end of 2020 until 9/11, no video of the head of the movement appeared, which caused the corresponding rumors.