In a 15-minute video recording published in the last few hours, al-Qaeda veteran Ibrahim al-Qosi announced Batarfi’s death, without providing any details or cause, according to the website specializing in Islamic extremism.
The terrorist network Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced the death of leader Khaled Batarfi and named Saad bin Atef al Awlaki as the group’s successor in Yemen, the Site Intelligence Group reported this Monday.
In a 15-minute video recording published in the last few hours, al-Qaeda veteran Ibrahim alQosi announced Batarfi’s death, without providing any details or cause, according to the website specializing in Islamic extremism.
The al-Qaeda member claimed in the recording, which showed Batarfi’s body, that the group’s shura advisory council chose Saad bin Atef al Awlaki as its new leader and emir.
Batarfi was appointed emir of AQAP in 2020, following the death of previous leader Qasem al-Rimi by the US. A Saudi national and leading figure in the Al Qaeda terrorist network, Batarfi was Al-Rimi’s right-hand man in Yemen.
