Hamza bin Laden, the son of former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is reportedly alive and leading the terror group, according to intelligence sources cited by The Mirror. Hamza is allegedly managing Al Qaeda operations in Afghanistan, alongside his brother Abdullah bin Laden, as detailed in a report from the National Mobilisation Front (NMF), an anti-Taliban alliance. The report claims Hamza, often referred to as the “crown prince of terror,” is hiding in northern Afghanistan with the protection of 450 snipers.
Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, the NMF warned Afghanistan has become a “training centre for various terror groups.” They stated, “Hamza bin Laden has been moved to Dara Abdullah Khel district (in Panjshir), where 450 Arabs and Pakistanis are protecting him,” and added, “under his command, Al Qaeda is regrouping and preparing for future attacks on Western targets.”
The NMF report contradicts earlier claims that Hamza was killed in a 2019 US airstrike. Hamza had been closely associated with Ayman al-Zawahiri, who succeeded Osama bin Laden as Al Qaeda’s leader after Osama’s death.
Previously, there were reports of Hamza’s death based on his audio and video messages calling for attacks against the US and other countries. However, details about the place and date of his death were unclear, as per an old BBC report. The Pentagon did not comment on these reports. Hamza had been designated as a global terrorist by the US and was believed to be under house arrest in Iran.