RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has revoked the citizenship of son of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement published by state media.
Umm Al-Qura newspaper reported on Friday that the decision regarding Hamza bin Laden’s citizenship was made in November by a royal order, however, practically the news coincided with US offer to award up to $1m to anyone providing information about his whereabouts.
Hamza bin Laden has been classed as a “terrorist” by the US since 2017 and the money is being offered by the US as part of its Rewards for justice program which described Hamza as ‘an emerging al-Qa’ida leader,’ in a tweet disclosing the prize information.
https://twitter.com/Rewards4Justice/status/1101239592903168006
Hamza bin Laden, believed to be of 30, had released audio messages vowing to avenge the killing of his father.
“We will continue striking you and targeting you in your country and abroad in response to your oppression of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim lands that did not survive your oppression,” Hamza said in an audio released by wire service Reuters in 2016.
The US had added Hamza to the terror blacklist in 2017 and now plans to track him down.
Hamza’s father, Osama bin Laden was killed at his compound in a highly secretive operation ‘Neptune Spear’ carried out by US Navy Seals at Abbottabad in Pakistan.
The operation had strained the ties between Islamabad and Washington in 2011.
