Khalid Batarfi was reportedly arrested in Yemen months ago and handed over to Saudi Arabia
Riyadh-born Khalid Batarfi is the most high-profile al-Qaeda leader ever to be arrested (AFP) By Published date: 5 February 2021 15:43 UTC | Last update: 1 month 1 week ago
A United Nations report has confirmed for the first time that the leader of al-Qaeda s affiliate in Yemen has been under arrest for several months.
Khalid Batarfi, leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), was arrested by Yemeni security forces in the al-Mahrah Governorate and then handed over to Saudi Arabia.
His second in command, Saad bin Atef al-Awlaqi, died during an operation in Ghayda City in al-Mahrah in October , according to the UN report.
Kindly share this story:
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.”