22/02/2021
| by Shay, Shaul (Dr.)
The leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been under arrest for several months, according to a United Nations report. The document said Khalid bin Umar Batarfi, also known as Abu Miqdad al-Kindi, the leader of AQAP for just under a year, was arrested and his deputy, Saad Atef al-Awlaqi, died during an operation in Ghayda City, Al-Mahrah Governorate, in October 2020.[1] So far, the group has not announced who replaced Batarfi as the leader of AQAP.
On February 23, 2020, AQAP announced that it had selected Batarfi as the group’s new leader. Batarfi was AQAP’s third leader since the group was formed in January 2009. AQAP’s first two leaders, Nasir al-Wuhayshi and Qasim al-Raymi, were both killed in U.S. drone strikes: Wuhayshi in June 2015 and Raymi in January 2020.
The leader of Al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate has been under arrest for several months, according to a United Nations report, in what will be seen as a huge breakthrough in the fight against the global jihadist threat
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Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Riyad Mansour (C) attends the UN Security Council emergency session on Israel-Gaza conflict at United Nations headquarter. Photo: AFP
Published 5 February 2021
The leader of Al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate has been under arrest for several months, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday, in what will be seen as a huge breakthrough in the fight against the global jihadist threat.
The document said Khalid Batarfi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) for just under a year, was arrested and his deputy, Saad Atef al-Awlaqi, died during an “operation in Ghayda City, Al-Mahrah Governorate, in October.”