US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that United States forces had killed Qasim al-Rimi, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
“At the direction of President Trump, the U.S. conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and a deputy to al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,” The White House 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. 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,” President Trump said in a statement.
“The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result of his death. We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm,” he added.
This came after AQAP claimed responsibility for a mass shooting at the US Naval Air base.
