Ayman Al-Zawahiri
Ayman Al-ZawahiriREUTERS/Handout

Saudi Arabia on Monday night welcomed US President Joe Biden’s announcement on the targeting and killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a foreign ministry statement.

The statement said that Al-Zawahiri is considered one of the leaders of terrorism that steered the planning and execution of heinous terrorist operations in the US, Saudi Arabia and other countries, killing thousands of innocent people of different nationalities and religions, including Saudi citizens.

Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and concerted international efforts to combat and eradicate terrorism.

It called on all countries to cooperate in this framework to protect innocent people from terrorist organizations.

Biden confirmed in a statement from the White House earlier that Al-Zawahiri had been killed in a US air strike in Afghanistan.

“He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was the mastermind of attacks against Americans,” Biden said.

“He had a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats, and American interests,” continued the President.

“Now, justice has been delivered. And this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer. The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm,” he stated.

“We make it clear again tonight that, no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out,” said Biden.

Al-Zawahiri took command of Al-Qaeda following the elimination of its longtime leader, Osama bin Laden, in 2011.

Since taking over as the leader of the organization, he has appeared in several videos in which he attacked Israel.

This past September, Al-Zawahiri released a video marking 20 years since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, in which he attacked Arab countries for “collaborating” with the United States and calling them “Zionist Arabs.”

In the video, which was posted to the website of the SITE Intelligence Group, Al-Zawahiri also vowed that “Jerusalem will not be Judaized.”

In 2019, in a similar video published on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Al-Zawahiri called on Muslims to attack US, European, Israeli and Russian targets.