Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza is dead, US reports say
- US intelligence has received information about death of al-Qaeda founder’s heir, officials confirm
- ‘Crown prince of jihad’ had US$1 million bounty placed on his head by US government in February
The United States believes that Hamza bin Laden, a son of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and himself a notable figure in the militant group, is dead, a US official said on Wednesday.
The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, provided no further details, including when Hamza died or where.
President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday declined to comment after NBC News first reported the US assessment.
Asked if he had intelligence that bin Laden’s son had been killed, Trump told reporters: “I don’t want to comment on it.”
Separately, the White House declined comment on whether any announcement was imminent.
Hamza, believed to be about 30 years old, was at his father’s side in Afghanistan before the September 11 attacks on the US and spent time with him in Pakistan after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan pushed much of al-Qaeda’s senior leadership there, according to the Brookings Institution.