Al-Qaeda Leader in Yemen Reported Dead
Bayan News – International media outlets have reported that “Khaled Al-Batarfi,” the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen, has been killed.
According to an Associated Press report, Al-Qaeda released a video on Monday showing the leader of the group wrapped in a black and white shroud.
Further details about the death of the Al-Qaeda leader have not been disclosed, and the authenticity of the released videos attributed to the group’s leader cannot be verified.
According to the report, Al-Batarfi assumed leadership of the AQAP branch in the Arabian Peninsula, based in Yemen, in February 2020. He succeeded Qasim al-Rimi, who was killed in a US drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump.
Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Al-Batarfi traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 and fought alongside the Taliban during the US-led coalition.
According to the United States, he joined Al-Qaeda in 2010 and led forces in the occupation of Abyan province in Yemen.
The US government had set a five-million-dollar reward for information on Al-Batarfi.