{"id":85405,"date":"2022-08-01T21:54:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T21:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:15:07","slug":"us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/","title":{"rendered":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated with additional information about the operation and al-Zawahri\u2019s background.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A U.S. drone strike in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/\" target=\"_blank\">Afghanistan<\/a> this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2021\/12\/09\/us-commander-al-qaida-numbers-in-afghanistan-up-slightly\/\" target=\"_blank\">al-Qaida leader<\/a> after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid. President Joe Biden was set to announce the killing Monday, delivering a significant counterterrorism win just 11 months after American troops left the country after a two-decade war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strike, carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency, was confirmed by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity before Biden was set to brief the American people on the details of the operation in a 7:30 p.m. EDT address to the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current and former officials began hearing Sunday afternoon that al-Zawahri had been killed in a drone strike, but the administration delayed releasing the information until his death could be confirmed, according to one person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White House officials declined to confirm al-Zawahri was killed but noted in a statement that the United States conducted a \u201csuccessful\u201d counterterrorism operation against a significant al-Qaida target, adding that \u201cthere were no civilian casualties.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The house Al-Zawahri was in when he was killed was owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, according to a senior intelligence official. The official also added that a CIA ground team and aerial reconnaissance conducted after the drone strike confirmed al-Zawahri\u2019s death. Planning for the operation began six months ago, but intensified in the last two months, the official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Al-Zawahri\u2019s loss eliminates the figure who more than anyone shaped al-Qaida, first as Osama bin Laden\u2019s deputy since 1998, then as his successor. Together, he and bin Laden turned the jihadi movement\u2019s guns to target the United States, carrying out the deadliest attack ever on American soil \u2014 the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon made bin Laden America\u2019s Enemy No. 1. But he likely could never have carried it out without his deputy. Bin Laden provided al-Qaida with charisma and money, but al-Zawahri brought tactics and organizational skills needed to forge militants into a network of cells in countries around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their bond was forged in the late 1980s, when al-Zawahri reportedly treated the Saudi millionaire bin Laden in the caves of Afghanistan as Soviet bombardment shook the mountains around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zawahri, on the FBI\u2019s Most Wanted Terrorist list, had a $25 million bounty on his head for any information that could be used to kill or capture him.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2021\/12\/10\/us-commander-al-qaida-numbers-in-afghanistan-up-slightly\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21342738874828.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US commander: Al-Qaida numbers in Afghanistan up \u2018slightly\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Al-Qaida is among numerous extremist groups inside Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden planned to speak from the balcony off the White House Blue Room as he remains in isolation in the residence while he continues to test positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Al-Zawhiri and bin Laden plotted the 9\/11 attacks that brought many ordinary Americans their first knowledge of al-Qaida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photos from the time often showed the glasses-wearing, mild-looking Egyptian doctor sitting by the side of bin Laden. Al-Zawahiri had merged his group of Egyptian militants with bin Laden\u2019s al-Qaida in the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe strong contingent of Egyptians applied organizational know-how, financial expertise, and military experience to wage a violent jihad against leaders whom the fighters considered to be un-Islamic and their patrons, especially the United States,\u201d Steven A. Cook wrote for the Council on Foreign Relations last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan demolished al-Qaida\u2019s safe haven and scattered, killed and captured its members, al-Zawahri ensured al-Qaida\u2019s survival. He rebuilt its leadership in the Afghan-Pakistan border region and installed allies as lieutenants in key positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also reshaped the organization from a centralized planner of terror attacks into the head of a franchise chain. He led the assembling of a network of autonomous branches around the region, including in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North Africa, Somalia, Yemen and Asia. Over the next decade, al-Qaida inspired or had a direct hand in attacks in all those areas as well as Europe, Pakistan and Turkey, including the 2004 train bombings in Madrid and the 2005 transit bombings in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More recently, the al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen proved itself capable of plotting attacks against U.S. soil with an attempted 2009 bombing of an American passenger jet and an attempted package bomb the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even before bin Laden\u2019s death, al-Zawahri was struggling to maintain al-Qaida\u2019s relevance in a changing Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He tried with little success to coopt the wave of uprisings that spread across the Arab world starting in 2011, urging Islamic hard-liners to take over in the nations where leaders had fallen. But while Islamists gained prominence in many places, they have stark ideological differences with al-Qaida and reject its agenda and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, al-Zawahri tried to pose as the Arab Spring\u2019s leader. America \u201cis facing an Islamic nation that is in revolt, having risen from its lethargy to a renaissance of jihad,\u201d he said in a video eulogy to bin Laden, wearing a white robe and turban with an assault rifle leaning on a wall behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Al-Zawahri was also a more divisive figure than his predecessor. Many militants described the soft-spoken bin Laden in adoring and almost spiritual terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast, al-Zawahri was notoriously prickly and pedantic. He picked ideological fights with critics within the jihadi camp, wagging his finger scoldingly in his videos. Even some key figures in al-Qaida\u2019s central leadership were put off, calling him overly controlling, secretive and divisive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some militants whose association with bin Laden predated al-Zawahri\u2019s always saw him as an arrogant intruder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have never taken orders from al-Zawahri,\u201d Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, one of the network\u2019s top figures in East Africa until his 2011 death, sneered in a memoir posted on line in 2009. \u201cWe don\u2019t take orders from anyone but our historical leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on Aug. 31, 2021, after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan, Biden said the U.S. would not let up on its fight against terrorism in that country or elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will maintain the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just don\u2019t need to fight a ground war to do it.\u201d Previewing the strike that would occur 11 months later, Biden said at the time, \u201cWe have what\u2019s called over-the-horizon capabilities, which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground \u2014 or very few, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have been rumors of al-Zawahri\u2019s death on and off for several years. But a video surfaced in April of the al-Qaida leader praising a Indian Muslim woman who had defied a ban on wearing a hijab, or headscarf. That footage was the first proof in months that he was still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A statement from Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban government confirmed the airstrike, but did not mention al-Zawahri or any other casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It said it \u201cstrongly condemns this attack and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement,\u201d the 2020 U.S. pact with the Taliban that led to the withdrawal of American forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSuch actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan, and the region,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Ellen Knickmeyer, Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville in Washington; Rahim Faiez in Islamabad; and Lee Keath in Cairo contributed reporting.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":89964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":132,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"5":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","newsletters","daily-news-roundup","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"6":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"7":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"}}},"categories":[132,28,10,29,116,15,86],"tags":[],"coauthors":[551,327,464,3237],"class_list":["post-85405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afghanistan","category-disaster","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"OJL5UUALWRDOLHLJHVNJ3U6664","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matthew Lee, The Associated Press, Nomaan Merchant, The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press, James LaPorta, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matthew Lee, The Associated Press, Nomaan Merchant, The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press, James LaPorta, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1231,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Afghanistan\",\n\t                \"Disaster | Advertiser Safety\",\n\t                \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say - Military Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/01\\\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"flashpoints\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Afghanistan\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/afghanistan\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"afghanistan\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Military Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say - Military Times","description":"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say","og_description":"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/","og_site_name":"Military Times","article_published_time":"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00","author":"Matthew Lee, The Associated Press, Nomaan Merchant, The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press, James LaPorta, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matthew Lee, The Associated Press, Nomaan Merchant, The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press, James LaPorta, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say","datePublished":"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/"},"wordCount":1231,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Afghanistan","Disaster | Advertiser Safety","Flashpoints","Home","Left Column","News","Pentagon &amp; Congress"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/","name":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say - Military Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2022-08-01T21:54:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T08:15:07+00:00","description":"A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death in a U.S. raid.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/01\/us-operation-killed-al-qaida-leader-al-zawahri-source-says\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Flashpoints","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/","ad_zone":"flashpoints"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Afghanistan","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/","ad_zone":"afghanistan"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","name":"Military Times","description":"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization","name":"Military Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","caption":"Military Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Military Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22213766187665.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85405"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150407,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85405\/revisions\/150407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85405"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=85405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}