US forces kill al-Qaeda leader Qasim al-Rimi in counter terrorism operation in Yemen

United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that in a major counter terrorism operation in Yemen the US forces have killed al-Qaeda leader Qasim al-Rimi. He was the founder of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP. The AQAP has long been considered al-Qaeda's most dangerous branch for its attempts to carry out attacks on the US mainland.

President Trump said that Rimi's death further degrades the global al-Qaeda movement, and brought more close to eliminating the threats these groups pose to their national



security. He said, the major counter terrorism operation was carried at his direction.

While Mr Trump confirmed that Rimi had been killed, he did not say when the US operation was conducted or divulged any details about how it was carried out.

This is the third major strike by the US under Trump Administration in recent months. In October, the US killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In January, it killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.