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.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/anas-mallick-abduction-taliban-assault-wion-reporters-crew-before-releasing-them-504249" hreflang="en">Anas Mallick abduction: Taliban assault WION's crew before releasing them</a> 
 
The other option is a Hellfire RNX with small-munition equivalent to a hand grenade. Two missiles on target would have severely dismembered the target. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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.&nbsp; 
 
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.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-defers-visit-of-chinas-satellite-tracking-ship-to-hambantota-port-504215">Sri Lanka defers visit of China's satellite tracking ship to Hambantota port</a>

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’.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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.&nbsp; 
 
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…&nbsp;

(Anuj Shrivastava is Senior News Editor, WION digital. He is always keen to use his&nbsp; insight to critically analyse developments, policies, decisions and anything of public interest.)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

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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.

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. Also read | Anas Mallick abduction: Taliban assault WION's crew before releasing them The other option is a Hellfire RNX with small-munition equivalent to a hand grenade. Two missiles on target would have severely dismembered the target. 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. Also read | Sri Lanka defers visit of China's satellite tracking ship to Hambantota port 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.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

Zawahiri killing: Tenacity of US agencies in hunting down enemies

A US government aid project official named Dan Smock was surprised when he saw the images of the balcony where al-Qaeda chief and the world's most wanted terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone attack.

A US government aid project official named Dan Smock was surprised when he saw the images of the balcony where al-Qaeda chief and the world's most wanted terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone attack. After some moments, it struck Smock that it was the balcony of the same house where he lived when working as an aid officer in Kabul. Smock, a US military veteran, was working as a civilian in the country when staying at the cream-coloured house with green-mirrored balcony walls. Smock stated that he liked to stand in the balcony and overlook the mountains which would be visible after the Kabul morning smog had disappeared. And according to US intel inputs, al-Zawahiri too liked standing in the balcony and soaking in the view. An incredibly surreal feeling: Smock Stating that it was an incredibly surreal feeling, Smock said that he was still coming to terms with the reality that a man who plotted and executed the 9/11 attack alongside Osama bin Laden, was living in the same room that he once lived in. "Things change, and things change quickly, but at that level? That’s a little intense. You’ve got public enemy number one, with a $25m bounty on his head, literally living in the same space you lived in previously,” said Smock in an interview with The Guardian. Read more: US kills Al-Qaeda terror group chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan drone strike Smock also revealed that why al-Zawahiri choose to ditch his hideouts and live in a residential place. Reportedly, the house is in a quiet, closed-off neighbourhood with only two entrances. If one is able to control those entrances, the whole neighbourhood can be controlled. al-Zawahiri and his men thought that they had control on the ground. However, trouble came in the form of a drone. al-Zawahiri's death As reported by WION, on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced that the US military had killed bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike in the capital city of Kabul over the weekend Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head was responsible for the killing of nearly 3,000 civilians who were killed in the 9/11 terror attacks organised by his terrorist outfit. Laden was considered the mastermind of the attacks and Zawahiri, who posed as his physician, helped him in the execution of his deadly plan. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US aid worker lived in same house where al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri was killed

The killing of Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri raises several questions on the evolving nature of the weapons capabilities possessed by the United States. According to reports, he was killed by two missiles fired at his Kabul home, but pictures showed no sign of an explosion, and US officials say no one else was harmed—this could be the Hellfire R9X in action.

The killing of Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri raises several questions on the evolving nature of the weapons capabilities possessed by the United States. According to reports, he was killed by two missiles fired at his Kabul home, but pictures showed no sign of an explosion, and US officials say no one else was harmed—this could be the Hellfire R9X in action. Everything about the secret weapon - Hellfire R9X The AGM-114 Hellfire missiles are air-to-ground, laser-guided, subsonic missiles with significant anti-tank capacity. They are mainly used in finely targeted attacks. The US government had developed this secret missile for pinpoint airstrikes that kill terrorist leaders with no explosion, drastically reducing damage and civilian casualties. The R9X is colloquially called 'the flying Ginsu' to the small community of individuals who are familiar with its use for the blades that can cut through buildings or car roofs and kill the target. The nickname is a reference to the popular knives sold on TV infomercials in the late 1970s and early 1980s that showed them cutting through both tree branches and tomatoes. The weapon has also been referred to as the ‘Ninja bomb.’ The Hellfire missiles have several variants, depending on its warhead, guidance system, and its physical variations. A latest and peculiar addition to the line of Hellfire missiles is the Hellfire R9X that uses pop-out sword blades to kill targets with minimal collateral damage — designed for targeted killings. According to Al-Arabia, this may have been the variant of the Hellfire missile used to assassinate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. US President Joe Biden expressed hope that the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri takes the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, a step further to closure. Biden pledged that he would never allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorist groups. He added that the US intelligence officials tracked Al-Zawahiri to a home in downtown Kabul where he was hiding out with his family.

Did the US use a secret weapon to kill Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri?

From the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has triggered a global food crisis, there is a lot happening across the world. Separately, the Capitol hill rioter who threatened Nany Pelosi has been sentenced seven years in jail.&nbsp;

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<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/08/02/283797-zaweri.png" />In the biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011, the United States killed the group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden revealed on Monday. Zawahiri helped execute the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people.

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<meta charset="utf-8" /><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/developing-countries-facing-major-food-inflation-due-to-ukraine-crisis-says-world-bank-502744">Developing countries facing major food inflation due to Ukraine crisis, says World Bank</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/07/22/281050-russias-attack-on-ukraine.png" />The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has been devastating for the global economy with severe impacts on food security as well as the supply chain. With Ukraine amounting for a huge amount of food grain exports in the world, the crisis has resulted in a temporary stoppage of supply, and this has resulted in major food shortages.

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<meta charset="utf-8" /><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-hill-rioter-who-threatened-nancy-pelosi-gets-more-than-7-years-in-prison-502761">Capitol Hill rioter who threatened Nancy Pelosi gets more than 7 years in prison</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/07/30/283075-untitled-design-8.png" />A number of Chinese warplanes were spotted flying dangerously close to the median line which divides the Taiwan Strait just ahead of United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit on Tuesday. Along with the warplanes, China has also positioned a number of warships near the region, according to Reuters.

China exempts Afghanistan from taxes, new move to exploit Afghan resources?

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">US airstrike kills Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Taliban condemns attack</div>

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From the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has triggered a global food crisis, there is a lot happening across the world.

From the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has triggered a global food crisis, there is a lot happening across the world. Separately, the Capitol hill rioter who threatened Nany Pelosi has been sentenced seven years in jail. Click on the headlines to read more Who is Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al Qaeda chief killed by U.S. strike? In the biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011, the United States killed the group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden revealed on Monday. Zawahiri helped execute the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people. Developing countries facing major food inflation due to Ukraine crisis, says World Bank The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has been devastating for the global economy with severe impacts on food security as well as the supply chain. With Ukraine amounting for a huge amount of food grain exports in the world, the crisis has resulted in a temporary stoppage of supply, and this has resulted in major food shortages. Capitol Hill rioter who threatened Nancy Pelosi gets more than 7 years in prison A number of Chinese warplanes were spotted flying dangerously close to the median line which divides the Taiwan Strait just ahead of United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit on Tuesday. Along with the warplanes, China has also positioned a number of warships near the region, according to Reuters. China exempts Afghanistan from taxes, new move to exploit Afghan resources? US airstrike kills Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Taliban condemns attack

Morning news brief: Al Qaeda chief killed by US, China on guard ahead of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and more

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Zawahiri killing: Tenacity of US agencies in hunting down enemies

US aid worker lived in same house where al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri was killed

Did the US use a secret weapon to kill Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri?

Morning news brief: Al Qaeda chief killed by US, China on guard ahead of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and more