The US “conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qassim Al Rimi, a founder and the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” Trump said in a White House statement. “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 said. But it follows the killing of Al Rimi’s predecessor Nasir Al Wuhayshi in June 2015, as part of the US’s long-running drone campaign in Yemen. Belaidi was responsible for multiple provinces in Yemen, the US State Department said after the killing. “The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result of his death,” Trump said of the operation.

Source: Pakistan Today February 07, 2020 05:48 UTC