Hamza bin Laden, a son of slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and himself a notable figure in the militant group, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation, President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

Axar.az reports in a statement issued by the White House, Trump said the operation took place in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, but he offered no further details, as reported by Reuters.

"The loss of Hamza bin Ladin not only deprives al-Qa'ida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group," Trump said, using an alternative spelling for the group that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A U.S. official told Reuters Hamza had been killed months ago near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Trump was briefed at the time on the operation. The U.S. government believes Hamza, who is thought to have been about 30 years old, had succeeded his father as the head of what remains of al Qaeda, the official said. Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in 2011.