"We do not have DNA confirmation. We're not going to get that confirmation. Quite frankly, based on multiple sources and methods that we've gathered information from, we don't need it," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
John Kirby said, "We have visual confirmation, but we also have confirmation through other sources." John Kirby also said that there was a small al Qaeda presence remaining in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed after a drone missile strike on a balcony of his hideout in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, in the biggest blow to the militants since Osama bin Laden was hit in 2011.
Ayman al-Zawahiri had a bounty of $25 million on his head. He had helped to coordinate Sept 11, 2001, or 9/11 attacks on the twin towers in the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.
While Afghanistan's Taliban government has not yet confirmed the death of the Al Qaeda leader, the United States is sure that Zawahiri was killed in the drone strike.
A US official said that Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed when he came out on the balcony of his safe house in Kabul at 6:18 am on Sunday morning. He was then hit by Hellfire missiles from a US drone.
JUSTICE DELIVERED: BIDEN
As the news of the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri was officially shared, United States President Joe Biden praised the operation and said justice was delivered.
"Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more," Joe Biden said, adding, "No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out."
The US has accused the Taliban government of violating an agreement between them by sheltering Zawahiri. Taliban, on the other hand, has called the strike a "violation of international principles".
Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson from the interior ministry, has said that there were no casualties as the house where the drone strike took place was empty.
