Nicosia - (AFP) - Saudi Arabia welcomed US President Joe Biden's announcement of the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri by a drone, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the announcement of the President of the United States, Joe Baden (...) the targeting and killing of the terrorist leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri," the statement said.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement described al-Zawahiri as one of the "terror leaders who led the planning and implementation of abhorrent terrorist operations in the United States, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries of the world," noting that these operations led to the killing of "thousands of innocent people of different nationalities and religions, including Saudi citizens."

Al-Zawahiri, who has been in hiding for more than ten years, was considered one of the masterminds of the September 11, 2011 attacks in the United States, which resulted in more than three thousand deaths.

Biden said he hoped the killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri would help the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks "turn the page".

In a televised speech, Biden addressed the relatives of the victims, saying, "I hope that this decisive action will allow them to turn the page" on these attacks, which were planned by Al-Qaeda and its leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, who was succeeded by Al-Zawahiri.