A Jihadist website on Friday confirmed that Osama bin Laden was killed during a U.S. operation in Pakistan.
The statement which was put out by the ‘general command’ of al-Qaeda is the first official confirmation from the militant group and calls for revenge attacks. It also made reference of a soon-to-be released audio tape that bin Laden recorded shortly before his death.
“We stress that the blood of mujahid (Muslim fighter) sheikh Osama bin Laden, may God have mercy on him, is precious to us and all Muslims and will not go in vain,” the statement said. “We will remain, God willing, a curse that chases the Americans and their allies inside and outside their country.”
“We call upon Muslim people in Pakistan, the land where Sheikh Osama was killed, to revolt and rise up to wash off this shame that was caused by a handful of traitors and thieves who have sold everything to the enemies of the nation, and disregarded the feelings of their people,” the statement said, referring to Pakistan’s leadership.
Osama bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the September 9/11 terrorist attacks nearly ten years ago, was killed in a secret raid by U.S. Navy SEALs on Sunday night at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama solemnly honored the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives during the World Trade Center bombings, even as he comforted family members, police and firefighters in New York.
Today Obama heads to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he will pay tribute to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment who assisted the Navy SEALs in the raid that killed bin Laden. He will also thank the many soldiers at Fort Campbell who recently returned from deployment in the theaters of Afghanistan and Iraq.
