Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the organization’s branch in Yemen, has announced the death of its leader, Khalid Batarfi, without giving details.
In a video statement, the SITE Intelligence group quoted an AQAP official as saying, “Allah took his soul while he patiently sought his reward and stood firm, immigrated, garrisoned and waged jihad.”
The video clip depicted Batarfi in a white funeral shroud and the black-and-white flag of Al-Qaeda.
AQAP has appointed Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki as Batarfi’s successor, SITE added.
About Khalid Batarfi
Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Batarfi fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan in 1999 and joined AQAP in 2010, a year after its formation.
In 2020, he took over the group after the death of his predecessor, Qassim Al-Raymi, in a US drone strike in Yemen.
The US government had announced a bounty of 5 million dollars on him for leading Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
