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Al Qaeda Leader Killed In U.S. Airstrike

by Lauren Barbato

A recent U.S.-led airstrike in Yemen reportedly killed top Al Qaeda leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the terrorist network announced Tuesday. Al-Wuhayshi was second-in-command at al Qaeda and the leading figure in the network's Arabian Peninsula branch, known as AQAP. His death is certainly a major blow to the terrorist network, though Al Qaeda officials also announced Tuesday that his successor has already been selected.

News of the Al Qaeda leader's death was circulated via an al Qaeda video featuring a senior AQAP leader, Reuters reported. Neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor the White House has confirmed al-Wuhayshi's death at this time.

Senior Al Qaeda operative Khaled Batarfi said in a statement announcing al-Wuhayshi's death:

Let it be known to the enemies of God that their battle is not only with one person or figure, no matter how important. To the infidel America: God has kept alive those who will trouble your life and make you taste the bitterness of defeat.

While the bombing was led by the United States, it's unclear at this time which agency carried out the Yemen attack that killed al-Wuhayshi. According to Reuters, an unnamed U.S. official said on Monday that U.S. military was not directly involved, but it's also not confirmed if this was the work of the CIA or another federal agency.