White House: US Has 'Visual Confirmation' of al-Qaeda Chief Zawahiri's Death, But No DNA

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The United States has "visual confirmation" of the death of the leader of al-Qaeda* Ayman al-Zawahiri, but no DNA proof, National Security Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Tuesday.

"We do not have DNA confirmation. Based on multiple sources and methods we’ve gathered, we don’t need it," Kirby told CNN when asked whether the US administration has DNA confirmation of Zawahiri’s death.

The United States has "visual confirmation" and confirmation via other sources and methods, he added.

Kirby noted that no civilians were injured and no civilian structures were damaged in the strike, he said.

US President Joe Biden said Monday that al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan on July 31. Accordingt to him, the US had known of Al-Zawahiri’s whereabouts since earlier this year but waited until this week, when the conditions for the strike were "optimal".

Al-Zawahiri had been in charge of the terror group since 2011 and according to the US authorities, he played an important role in planning the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which claimed lives of around 3,000 Americans.

*al-Qaeda is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other states

* The Taliban is an organization sanctioned by the United Nations for terrorist activities