WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US at his direction has conducted a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen that killed Qassim al-Rimi, an al-Qaida commander who claimed responsibility for last year’s deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, where a Saudi aviation trainee killed three American sailors.
Al-Rimi is a founder of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. “We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm,” Trump said.
While Trump confirmed reports that al-Rimi had been killed, he did not say when the operation was conducted or offer any other details. Al-Rimi had said in an 18-minute video that his group was responsible for the December 6 shooting at the base. He called the shooter, Saudi Air Force officer Mohammed Alshamrani, a “courageous knight” and a “hero”.
The shooter opened fire inside a classroom at the base, killing three people and wounding two sheriff's deputies before one of the deputies killed him.
Al-Rimi, 41, was among the few remaining al-Qaida leaders whose terrorist pedigree traces to the era before the September 11, 2001, attacks
Al-Rimi is a founder of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. “We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm,” Trump said.
While Trump confirmed reports that al-Rimi had been killed, he did not say when the operation was conducted or offer any other details. Al-Rimi had said in an 18-minute video that his group was responsible for the December 6 shooting at the base. He called the shooter, Saudi Air Force officer Mohammed Alshamrani, a “courageous knight” and a “hero”.
The shooter opened fire inside a classroom at the base, killing three people and wounding two sheriff's deputies before one of the deputies killed him.
Al-Rimi, 41, was among the few remaining al-Qaida leaders whose terrorist pedigree traces to the era before the September 11, 2001, attacks
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