Thread: Qassim al-Rimi: US forces killed al-Qaida leader in Yemen, Trump confirms

Al-Rimi had claimed responsibility for a shooting at a Florida naval base, where a Saudi aviation trainee killed three American sailors


Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen killed Qassim al-Rimi, an al-Qaida leader who claimed responsibility for last year’s deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, where a Saudi aviation trainee killed three American sailors.


Unconfirmed reports of his death, including indicative tweets from the president, have been circulating since 31 January, but the neither the Department of Defense nor the CIA had issued official confirmation.
Al-Rimi was a founder of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The affiliate has long been considered the global network’s most dangerous branch for its attempts to carry out attacks on the US mainland. Trump said the US and its allies were 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,“ Trump said.

Qassim al-Rimi: US forces killed al-Qaida leader in Yemen, Trump confirms | US news | The Guardian