Osama bin Laden’s son and heir Hamza is dead

The United States has obtained intel that Hamza bin Laden, the son and potential successor of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is dead, according to MSNBC, citing three US officials.

MSNBC said the officials “would not provide details of how Hamza bin Laden died or if the US played a role.”

The report added: “It is unclear if Washington has confirmed his death.”

In March, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced that the Kingdom was stripping Hamza's Saudi nationality, Okaz newspaper reported at the time. The United States had offered a $1 million reward for any information on Hamza bin Laden.

The location of Hamza bin Laden has been the subject of speculation for years with reports of him living in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria or under house arrest in Iran. He is believed to have spent years along with his mother in Iran.

In 2015, bin Laden released an audio message urging militants in Syria to unite, claiming that the fight in the war-torn country paves the way to “liberating Palestine.”

AFP