Masri’s death was confirmed by Chris Miller, head of the US National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC). Its “removal from the battlefield is a major complication for a terrorist organization that is constantly experiencing strategic losses, aided by the United States and its partners,” the NCTC chief said.
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Masri, originally from Egypt, has been accused in the United States of materially supporting a terrorist organization and of plotting to kill US citizens. According to the NDS, the second al-Qaeda man was killed during an operation in Ghazni province in eastern Afghanistan. The FBI declined to comment.
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The United States is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan after a February agreement with the Islamist movement Taliban. According to the White House, about half of the current 5,000 Americans should remain there by the beginning of next year. In the agreement, the Taliban provided security guarantees and undertook to fight terrorist groups.
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