WASHINGTON, Jan 5: The US military is in the process of reviewing the results of an airstrike in Yemen on January 1 targeting an operative of Al-Qaeda terrorist group (outlawed in Russia), Jamal al-Badawi, the Central Command said in a statement.
“We are aware of reports that Jamal al-Badawi was killed in a strike in Yemen,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Bill Urban said in the statement on Friday. “US forces are still assessing the results of the strike following a deliberate process to confirm his death.”
US media reported earlier in the day citing a military official that Badawi, who was indicted by a grand jury in 2003 for orchestrating the October 12, 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors, had been killed in the strike.
US Senator Lindsey Graham praised the efforts of US military to destroy the terrorist network and commended the recent airstrike. The senator said this strike would “be a blow” to the terrorist group because Badawi has been one of the top targets for many years.
However, the senator warned the United States and its key allies, especially those on the Afghan-Pakistan border, continue to be at risk of the threat posed by Al-Qaeda, despite its influence in the region diminishing.
(AGENCIES)
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