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Al Qaeda confirms death of No.2 leader, names replacement

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Naser Abdel-Karim Wahishi in 2012.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Naser Abdel-Karim Wahishi in 2012.

(AFP/Getty Images)
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Al Qaeda on Tuesday confirmed that Naser Abdel-Karim Wahishi, its No. 2 figure and leader of its powerful Yemeni affiliate, was killed in a U.S. strike that was the harshest blow to the global militant network since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

In a video statement released by the media wing of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni affiliate is known, a senior operative read a statement announcing the death of Wahishi, who once served as Bin Laden’s personal secretary, and said his deputy, Qassim Raimi, has been tapped to replace him.

Yemeni security officials had earlier said a U.S. drone strike killed three suspected militants in the Al Qaeda-held southern port city of Mukalla last week. U.S. officials had said they were trying to verify whether Wahishi had been killed.

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Al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate has long been seen as its most lethal and has been linked to a number of foiled or botched attacks on the U.S. homeland. In addition to leading the Yemeni affiliate, Wahishi also served as deputy to Ayman Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s top leader, who succeeded Bin Laden in 2011.

The death of Wahishi is the latest in a series of targeted killings of the Yemen affiliate’s top leaders.

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