Efe
Updated Monday, March 11, 2024-09:07
The jihadist group
Al Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has announced the death of its leader
Khaled Batarfi
and has appointed his successor, Saad bin Atef al Awlaki, as the new emir of the group that operates in Yemen, reports the specialized portal in jihadism Site Intelligence Group.
In a video of about 15 minutes published in the last few hours, Al Qaeda veteran Ibrahim al Qosi indicates that "God took his soul while he patiently sought his reward and stood firm, emigrated, garrisoned and waged jihad for his cause." ,
without giving any details about the reason for his death
, the media notes.
The Al Qaeda member states in the tape, where Batarfi's body is shown, that the group's Shura Council has chosen Saad bin Atef al Awlaki as the new head.
Awlaki, the last public leader of AQAP, last appeared in February 2023 in a video in which he urged members of the Sunni tribes of Abyan and Shabua to
reject the influence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
and the Transitional Council Southerner in Yemen.
Batarfi was appointed as AQAP's emir in 2020 when previous leader Qasem al Rimi was assassinated by the United States.
Batarfi, a Saudi national and a prominent figure within the Al Qaeda terrorist network, was Al Rimi's right-hand man in Yemen.