Zawahiri killing: Tenacity of US agencies in hunting down enemies

Early morning of July 31, 2022 marked the culmination of the United States’ relentless 11-year hunt for its most wanted terrorist — al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri — bringing closure to the kin of 9/11 victims.

Zawahiri met a violent death, and since the US had picked an unmanned advanced technology warfare option for the precision strike in the upscale, highly-secure neighbourhood of Kabul, it knew collecting DNA sample for identity confirmation testing, as in Osama Bin Laden’s case, was not possible, and must have ensured a visual feed and photographic evidence to confirm the kill.

The visuals of the killing must have been gory, given one of the two, or both, likely options of the Hellfire RNX missiles being used to exterminate the biggest bugbear of United States. One Hellfire variant uses sword-like blades and a set of six rotors that can shred even the metal bodies of tanks and armoured vehicles to reach the target. Two such missiles fired at Zawahiri would have inflicted lethal gashes and left the third-floor balcony of the safehouse in the tony Sherpur locality of Kabul quite bloodied.

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The al-Qaeda has not confirmed Zawahiri’s death, while Taliban issued a vague statement denying any knowledge of his presence in Kabul, saying it will probe US claims. The US has still not shared the evidence (it must be having) to prove Zawahiri’s annihilation.

It was a major breakthrough for the US and the news hogged limelight, taking some attention off China’s aggressive posturing on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei visit. It will also be seen as US posturing and flexing its expertise in advanced techno warfare, and not being bogged down by the military might of China and its threats.

The doggedness with which US intelligence and defence agencies have been pursuing the enemies of the state is highly praiseworthy and worth emulating for a country like India which has been battling terrorism and bleeding for decades now.

While the Operation Neptune Star in May 2011 killing Zawahiri’s predecessor Osama bin Laden was then seen as highly audacious as the Red Squadron of US Navy SEAL Team Six shot him at the safehouse in Pakistan’s garrison city Abbottabad and carried away his body, the CIA and US defence agencies have since killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his right hand Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir among the key ‘enemies’.

In contrast, India is still looking for action by Pakistan against Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.

As per Union Home Ministry officials, infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan into Kashmir continues unabated. As on July 5, 2022, there were 82 ‘foreign’ active terrorists in Kashmir against 59 locals. Will India finally take a leaf out of the US policy and hit its targets to end the inflow of terror into Kashmir from across the border is best left to conjecture, or imagination…

(Anuj Shrivastava is Senior News Editor, WION digital. He is always keen to use his insight to critically analyse developments, policies, decisions and anything of public interest.)

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