Al Qaeda AP confirms death of leader Qassim al-Rimi, appoints successor

Terror organisation Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula on Sunday confirmed death of its leer Qassim al-Rimi and appointed a successor, SITE monitor said, weeks after US said it h "eliminated" him. anuncement came in an audio speech delivered by AQAP religious official Hamid bin Hamoud al-Tamimi, said SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihist networks worldwide.

"In his speech, Tamimi spoke at length about Rimi and his jihi journey, and stated that Khalid bin Umar Batarfi is new leer of AQAP," it said. SITE said that Batarfi has appeared in many AQAP videos over past several years and appeared to be Rimi's deputy and group spokesman.

US President Donald Trump anunced Rimi's death earlier this month, saying US h "conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen" that eliminated him. That anuncement came shortly after AQAP claimed responsibility for December 6 mass shooting at a US naval base in Florida, in which a Saudi Air Force officer killed three American sailors. Washington considers AQAP to be worldwide jihist network's most dangerous branch.

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Sunni extremist group has thrived in chaos of years of civil war between Yemen's Saudi Arabia-backed government and Shiite rebels who control capital. "Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against United States and our forces," Trump said at time. "His death furr degres AQAP and global Al-Qaeda movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating threats se groups pose to our national security."

Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent chief de

Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent's (AQIS) chief and Pakistani citizen Asim Omar, was killed in Afghanistan's Musa Qala district during a raid on September 23, last year Afghan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) h confirmed.  For proof, NDS released two photos of top terrorist, both alive and de to confirm news. However, Al Qaeda has t confirmed death of Omar, neir has White House or Pentagon released an official statement. 

Born in Uttar Presh, son of a peasant ran away from home to Pakistan, after being ricalised. Omar was reportedly picked up to he AQIS after its formation in 2014. According to international reports, terrorist was previously affiliated with Pakistan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and even Jaish-e-Mohammed in PoK, before being linked to Al Qaeda. 

Omar, in June 2019, h praised Taliban for its "victory" in Afghanistan against US forces, and even hailed "unity" of Taliban. Back in June, Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent also released a 20-p 'code of conduct' accentuating its fidelity to chief Ayman al Zawahiri and emir of Taliban. presence of a senior Al Qaeda leer in Taliban compound raises speculations over armed group's willingness to cut ties with terror, amid stalled peace negotiations with United States. 

(With PTI inputs)

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