The United States says it has captured a suspected ringleader of the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, a raid that killed four Americans including the U.S. ambassador.
The 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi killed four Americans including the U.S. ambassador, and ignited a political firestorm in Washington.
Now, the Pentagon press secretary says they’ve captured a suspected ringleader.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah was captured in Libya Sunday, with a team of U.S. special operations forces and law enforcement personnel.
No photo of him was immediately available. During an event in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Obama said he had made his capture a priority:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: “We continue to think about and pray for the families of those who were killed during that terrible attack. But more importantly it’s important for us to send a message to the world that when Americans are attacked, no matter how long it takes, we will find those responsible and we will bring them to justice.”
The Pentagon declined to go into detail about his capture.
But they say there were no civilian casualties in the operation and all U.S. personnel involved had safely left Libya. A U.S. official said Khatallah would be charged and prosecuted through the U.S. court system.