U.S. Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Leader, Main 9/11 Plotter Ayman al-Zawahiri

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed Al-Qaeda leader and key 9/11 plotter Ayman al-Zawahiri over the weekend, according to U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement.

Sources also familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News Go that the operation killed al-Zawahiri in the drone strike.

A senior administration official also earlier said that the U.S. engaged in a successful counterterrorism operation against a "significant" al-Qaeda target. The official added that there were no reported civilian casualties.

The counterterrorism operation happened in Wazir Akbar Khan, which is considered to be one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Kabul.

Al-Zawahiri was born in Cairo in 1951 and trained as a physician before founding the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Al-Zawahiri's group had aimed to overthrow the Egyptian government through "violent means" before they joined al-Qaeda between 1998 and 1999.

Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri Killed

President Joe Biden said in his announcement that al-Zawahiri was the mastermind behind attacks against Americans, including the 2000 USS Cole attack and the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Justice Department said that al-Zawahiri coordinated the 9/11 attacks that nearly killed 3,000 people in the U.S.

Biden also took note of al-Zawahiri's role in leading the terrorist group since Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in 2011, according to an NPR report.

The president then said that the killing of al-Qaeda's leader has made clear that one is a threat "to our people, the United States will find you and take you out."

Biden said that al-Zawahiri's family, who were also in a safe house, were not hurt in the U.S. drone strike.

An administration official briefed reporters before Biden's announcement, saying that the al-Qaeda leader's death is a huge blow to the group. The official said that al-Zawahiri was also an "active threat to U.S. national security."

The administration official noted that there was unanimous support to strike the target, with the president allowing a "tailored" airstrike to minimize civilians being affected.

Al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri

The former top U.S. liaison to the Taliban described the strike as a "validation" of the rationale for withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as the special envoy for Afghanistan peace negations under Biden and former President Donald Trump, said that the air strike was proof that the United States can "protect our interests against terror threats in Afghanistan" without any military presence.

The United States alleges the Taliban violated the peace agreement by letting al-Zawahiri into the country, as reported by The New York Times.

Meanwhile, the Taliban accused the U.S. of breaking the peace agreement through the launch of the drone strike.

Senior administration officials said that a terrorist group part of the Taliban government, the Haqqani network, tried to hide that Zawahiri had been at the house while also restricting access to the site.

The U.S. president noted that he dedicated his decision to launch the strike to the victims' families of 9/11 attack, hoping it would bring some "measure of closure."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri killed in Afghanistan - from CNBC Television