"At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and a deputy to al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri," the statement said. 

It claimed that Rimi had conducted and inspired numerous attacks against the United States and its forces. 

"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," it said.

It further stated that the U.S. would continue to protect the Americans by tracking down and eliminating people who seek to do us harm. (ILKHA)