(Bloomberg) -- A US counterterrorism operation was carried out against “a significant al-Qaeda target” in Afghanistan, a senior Biden administration official said on Monday evening.

The official said the operation took place over the weekend and didn’t elaborate. The Associated Press said the strike killed top Al-Qaida Leader Ayman Al-Zawahri.

The White House said President Joe Biden would give an address about the operation on Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. Washington time.

The Defense Department deferred to the White House and US Central Command, with responsibility over Afghanistan, didn’t immediate respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership said on Twitter Monday that a US attack had struck a house in the Sherpur district of Kabul.

“The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found that the attack was carried out by American drones,” according to the spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed. He did not provide information on casualties. He condemned the assault as “a clear violation of international principles.”

A successful operation would allow the Biden administration to claim vindication in its disputed claim that the US would still be able to strike terrorist targets after pulling US troops out of Afghanistan.

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Author: Nancy Cook and Eltaf Najafizada