US operation kills al Qaeda’s top leader, who has led the terror group since bin Laden was killed in 2011

• The leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahri, was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.
• The strike took place over the weekend in Kabul, Politico and the AP reported.
• President Joe Biden will speak about the operation Monday night.

The leader of al-Qaida has been killed by a US drone strike in the Afghan capital of Kabul, according to news reports Monday.

In a statement reported by Politico, a Biden administration official said that over the weekend "the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant [al-Qaida] target in Afghanistan."

A source familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that the target was Ayman al-Zawahri.

President Joe Biden will speak about the operation in a White House address at 7:30 p.m. ET.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.