US Kills AQAP Leader in Yemen: Trump

US Kills AQAP Leader in Yemen: Trump
President Donald Trump arrives for a signing ceremony for the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Jan. 29, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Reuters
Updated:

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States killed al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Qassim al-Raymi in a counterterrorism operation in Yemen.

“Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces,” Trump said in a statement.

“His death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qa’ida movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security,” he said. He did not say when Raymi was killed.