The leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida is dead. The militant group made the announcement late Sunday, without giving details. Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S.
SANAA, Yemen — The leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida is dead, the militant group announced late Sunday, without giving details.
Al-Qaida released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a funeral shroud of the al-Qaida black-and-white flag. It offered no details on the cause of his death and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Al-Batarfi is believed to be in his early 40s. The group made the announcement on the eve of Ramadan, the Muslim holy fasting month that Yemen will begin Monday.
Al-Batarfi took over as the head of the branch, known by the acronym AQAP, in February 2020. He succeeded leader Qassim al-Rimi, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump.Al-Batarfi, born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 and fought alongside the Taliban during the U.S.-led invasion. He joined AQAP in 2010 and led forces in taking over Yemen’s Abyan province, according to the U.S.