Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula senior leader, or emir, Abu Khattab al Awlaqi was killed in a June 16 U.S. airstrike along with two associates, U.S. Central Command announced Thursday.
“Al Awlaqi was a senior leader responsible for planning and conducting terrorist attacks against civilians,” the Pentagon noted in a recent press release. “He had significant influence throughout AQAP’s terrorist stronghold, had ties and access to the group’s other senior leaders, and was implicated in planning and leading efforts to exacerbate instability in Southern Yemen.”
Al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula remains the most active affiliate within the al-Qaida network. The group operates in the midst of the chaos of the Yemeni civil war and controls some territory. The group is known for heavily concentrating on external operations against the U.S. and its Western allies, and is estimated to have nearly 3,000 fighters in Yemen.
President Donald Trump has dramatically increased the U.S. effort against AQAP since taking office. Trump’s first week in office was marked by a botched late January U.S. Navy SEAL raid and he has declared the country an “area of active hostilities” to allow the military to pursue targets without White House approval.
The designation led to a flurry of airstrikes in March when the Trump administration struck Yemen more times in a single week than the Obama administration did in nearly 4 years.
CENTCOM’s release highlighted the group’s connection to the 2009 underwear bomber, the 2009 Fort Hood shooter, and the 2013 Boston Bombers. “AQAP has taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct and inspire terror attacks against the U.S., its citizens and allies around the world,” the statement declared.
Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter
Send tips to saagar@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.