White House announces Al Qaeda leader killed by airstrike in Yemen

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By VT

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Per CNN and others, the White House confirmed on Thursday evening that Qassim al-Rimi, the leader of an Al Qaeda-linked group, was killed in an airstrike in Yemen last month.

The US government had been offering a $10m reward for information on Rimi, CNN reports.

Fox News states that Qassim al-Rimi lead Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terror network described as one of the most dangerous in the world.

And it's been reported that Rimi was a target for the United States since early in Trump's time in office. He was allegedly targeted in a 2017 raid in Yemen, an operation that led to the first US military combat death under President Trump.

The White House said in a statement that Rimi's "death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qa'ida movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security.

"The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result of his death. We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm."

CNN notes that many have considered the AQAP branch of Al Qaeda among its most deadly, since it was formed in 2009.