Washington DC: The White House on Friday announced the killing of al-Qaida leader Qassim al-Rimi and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, in counter-terrorism operation conducted by US forces in Yemen. Qassim al-Rimi, is the leader of the terror organisation in the Arabian Peninsula.

"At the direction of President Donald Trump, the US 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," a White House tweet read.