For weeks, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) meticulously planned the operation to kill the leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Afghanistan without resulting in any casualties. The precision of the operation was reflected in the execution moment when two Hellfire missiles targeted the balcony of the house where al-Zawahiri was residing in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Reports indicate that the missiles killed al-Zawahiri on Saturday without even destroying the house, suggesting a high level of targeting accuracy that considers the safety of civilians and avoids putting their lives at risk.
The Hellfire is an air-to-ground missile, laser-guided, subsonic, with significant anti-tank capabilities. It can also be used as an air-to-air weapon against helicopters or slow-moving fixed-wing aircraft. Hellfire missiles can provide precision strike capability against tanks, structures, bunkers, and helicopters. The missile is capable of defeating any known tank in the world today and can be directed to the target either from within the aircraft or by laser guidance from outside the aircraft.
A New York Times analyst stated that images of the strike published on social media suggest a missile attack using Hellfire missiles armed with long blades intended to kill targets with kinetic energy to minimize significant collateral damage.
However, the other surprise revealed by a White House official was that al-Zawahiri was in Kabul with the knowledge of the Haqqani network and Taliban leaders. The official confirmed that targeting al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan does not constitute a violation of international law. The U.S. official noted that Biden wanted to understand the impact of this operation on future counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan. Upon announcing al-Zawahiri's death in a drone strike in the Afghan capital, a senior U.S. official stated, "We expect them to adhere to the terms of the Doha Agreement. Al-Zawahiri's presence in the heart of Kabul was a clear violation of that."
Activists on social media circulated images of the house targeted in the U.S. strike that killed al-Zawahiri in Kabul. U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed in a speech that this mission was carefully planned to avoid civilian casualties, emphasizing that Washington "will never allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorism." Biden stated that al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike "without the presence of U.S. forces on the ground," adding that the operation "was prepared and executed with high precision." He further remarked, "I authorized the strike against al-Zawahiri after our intelligence was able to determine his location, as he had moved to the heart of Kabul to meet family members."
