Ayman Al Zawahiri: Who will be the chief of Al Qaeda after Al-Zawahiri? terrorist organization in confusion

The US claimed to have killed Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. US intelligence official says the situation is unclear regarding al-Zawahiri's successor.

"Al Qaeda itself does not have an answer as to who will succeed Zawahiri," Christine Abizaid, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, said at an event organized by the Washington Institute.

According to the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) report, the 9/11 terror attack mastermind Al Zawahiri was reported to be living in Pakistan. The Taliban had not yet captured Afghanistan then. It was suspected that he was under the protection of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

Saif al-Adel's name forward

After the death of Zawahiri, the name of Saif al-Adel is at the forefront as the successor of Al Qaeda. According to a Reuters report, the US has announced a US$10 million reward for information on Saif al-Adel.

Abizaid also addressed the threat landscape in the US, saying the country faced an "unpredictable" environment, adding that Americans should be vigilant about foreign extremist organizations such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. "The online environment is where most radicalization is happening," she said.

Al-Zawahiri's video came in December 2022

Earlier in December last year, Al Qaeda released the video of Al-Zawahiri. In the 35-minute video, it was not given the information on which date it was recorded. The terrorist organization had claimed that the recording was of al-Zawahiri.

Zawahiri killed in US drone strike

Significantly, on July 31, 2022, the US killed al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. Zawahiri was hiding in the safe house.

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