US officials told National Public Radio (NPR) on Wednesday Sa’ad bin Laden, the third son of Osama bin Laden, had been killed by a US drone attack in Pakistan.
Sa’ad bin Laden, 20, reportedly spent several years under house arrested before traveling last year to Pakistan, former National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell said.
He was an active member of al Qaeda, though not a major figure in the organization. While not important enough to be targeted directly, US officials said he most likely was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
According to US officials, his death was “80 to 85 percent certain,” since no body had been found. Officials did not release information on how they concluded his death.
Despite Sa’ad bin Laden’s minor status in al Qaeda, a US officials told NPR, “We make a big deal out of him because of his last name.”
It is unknown whether Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be hiding in the mountainous region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was in the vicinity of the attack.
Ariel Goldring
