Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has announced the death of its leader in Yemen, Qassem Al-Rimi, during an American air strike on the group’s positions on 7 February 2020.
The Al-Malahim, one of the al-Qaeda’s media arms, has also announced the name of the new leader of the terrorist organisation, and identified him as Khaled Batarfi. It also added that the Al-Qaeda militants in the Arabian Peninsula had pleaded allegiance to the new leader.
Earlier this month, the US President Donald Trump announced the killing of al-Rimi in Yemen but the militant group didn’t confirm until today.
Al-Rimi established a branch for Al-Qaeda in Yemen and Saudi Arabia in 2009, and assumed the position as military commander.
AQAP has remained active during the Yemeni conflict, often carrying out attacks on both the government and militant Ansarallah forces across the country.