An American drone strike has killed a senior leader of al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, according to a statement published via Twitter on Thursday by the militant Islamist organization.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (commonly referred to as AQAP) said Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari was killed by a drone strike on his vehicle in Yemen's Shabwa province, along with three other people, on Jan. 31. AQAP's announcement was published from a Twitter account believed to be affiliated with the organization.
بيان رقم (90) بشأن القصف الأمريكي الصليبي في اليمن بتاريخ 11 ربيع آخر 1436هـ pic.twitter.com/NwS01jemG9— عبدالله المجاهد (@AMOJAH4) February 5, 2015
AQAP announced the killing of one of its top officials, Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari, in a US airstrike on January 31. pic.twitter.com/4Hlpogo43e— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) February 5, 2015
Al-Nadhari served as an adviser on AQAP's legal and religious affairs, according to a Reuters translation of the statement. He was also a visible and influential face of al-Qaeda. It was al-Nadhari, in fact, who in November denounced the Islamic State (ISIS) for "driving a wedge" among jihadi groups.
However, it is unclear if his death will make a significant difference in the United States' fight against AQAP, one of al-Qaeda's most powerful and active affiliates.
I'd say the death of Harith al-Nathari is #AQAP's biggest loss since that of Said al-Shihri; key ideologue and rather eloquent spokesperson.— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) February 5, 2015
Aside from robbing it of an eloquent spox, al-Nathari's death unlikely to have big effect on AQAP--conditions still ripe for AQAP's growth.— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) February 5, 2015
After the attack on Paris-based satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 dead, AQAP claimed responsibility for it, and al-Nadhari praised it in a YouTube video.
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