The leader of Yemen's branch of al-Qaeda is dead, the militant group announced late Sunday, without giving details.
Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the US government over leading the group, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, through years that saw him imprisoned, freed in a jailbreak, and governing forces in Yemen amid that country's war.
Though believed to be weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected US drone strikes killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP has long been considered the most dangerous branch of the extremist group still operating after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden.
Al-Qaeda released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a white funeral shroud and al-Qaeda's black-and-white flag.
Militants offered no details on the cause of his death and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Al-Batarfi was believed to be in his early 40s.
In an announcement, al-Qaeda said Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki would take over as its leader. The US has a $6 million bounty on him, saying al-Awlaki “has publicly called for attacks against the United States and its allies.”
The Yemen branch of al-Qaeda has been seen by Washington as the terror network’s most dangerous branch ever since its attempt in 2009 to bomb a commercial airliner over the United States. It claimed responsibility for the 2015 deadly attack in Paris on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. But their overseas operations have waned in recent years.
“Although in decline, AQAP remains the most effective terrorist group in Yemen with intent to conduct operations in the region and beyond,” a recent United Nations report on al-Qaeda said.
Estimates provided to the UN put AQAP's total forces as numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 active fighters and passive members. The group raises money by robbing banks and money exchange shops, as well as smuggling weapons, counterfeiting currencies and ransom operations, according to the UN.
Al-Batarfi took over as the head of the branch in February 2020. He succeeded leader Qassim al-Rimi, who was killed by a US drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump. Al-Rimi had claimed responsibility for the 2019 attack at the US Naval Air Station Pensacola in which an aviation trainee killed three American sailors.
Under al-Batarfi, AQAP fell further under the influence of al-Qaeda fighter Saif al-Adl, now believed to have led the militant group after the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike in Afghanistan in 2022.
