Yemen monitor /Marib
Al-Qaeda in Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has announced the death of its leader, Khaled bin Omar Batorfi, and the appointment of Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki as his successor.
Al-Qaeda related media gave no indication of the cause of his death.
Batorfi was a prominent figure in AQAP. A Saudi national, he was a member of the group’s shura council and oversaw its media network. He traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 to train at al-Qaeda’s al-Faruq camp.
The U.S. Rewards for Justice Program offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the capture of Batorfi, who was also known as Abu Muqaddad and Abu Muqaddad al-Kanadi. He became emir of AQAP in February 2020 following the death of previous leader Qassim al-Rimi.
Prior to becoming emir, Batorfi served as AQAP’s legal judge and official spokesperson.
In 2018, the U.S. Department of State designated Batorfi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order .
