Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki

Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki
سعد بن عاطف العولقي
BornBetween 1978 and 1983
Shabwah Governorate, Yemen
OrganizationIslamic State Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki (Arabic: سعد بن عاطف العولقي) also known by the alias Abu Al-Laith, is a Yemeni militant and the current emir of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, succeeding Khalid Batarfi.

Life

Al-Awlaki was born in Al-Shu'bah in Wadi Yasbam in the Al-Saeed District in Shabwa Governorate from the al-Awlaki tribe in either 1978, 1981, or 1983.[1]

Before his leadership of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, he was a member of AQAP's shura council.[2]

After the death of Khalid Batarfi,[3] al-Awlaki was appointed as the new leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula through AQAP's media group, Al-Malahem Media, on March 11, 2024, which involved a statement reading by Abu Khubaib al-Sudani.[4] Before al-Awlaki officially led the group, throughout 2019 till the death of Batarfi, he and al-Awlaki both led conflicting sectors of AQAP.[5] According to the United Nations, this conflict was due to Batarfi's disliking for Southern Yemeni tribes and al-Awlaki's support for them.[6]

The United States program, Rewards for Justice, put a USD$6 million bounty on al-Awlaki.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Who is Al-Awlaki, the new leader of Al-Qaeda in Yemen ?". Yemen Online. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  2. ^ Roggio, Bill; Weiss, Caleb (2024-03-11). "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula names new emir; U.S. has $6 million bounty on his head". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  3. ^ "Al-Qaeda in Yemen announces death of leader Khalid Batarfi". France 24. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  4. ^ Gritten, David (2024-03-11). "Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch announces death of leader Khalid Batarfi". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  5. ^ Ali, Ibrahim (2024-03-27). "The New AQAP Leader: The Choice of Necessity". South24. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  6. ^ "Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council". United Nations Digital Library. 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  7. ^ "Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki". Rewards for Justice Program. Retrieved 2024-08-31.