Al-Qaeda emir (leader) Ayman al-Zawahri on the 20th anniversary of September 11 attacks appeared on a video, months after rumors spread that he was dead.
The video believed to be released on Saturday runs for 61-minute, 37-second, and was produced by the group’s as-Sahab Media Foundation, which promotes the group’s activity and propaganda.
In the video, the Al-Qaeda leader said that “Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized,” and also lauded the group’s operations including the one that targeted Russian troops in Syria in January.
Al-Zawahri also noted the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of incursion but did not mention the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul last month.
Since late 2020, rumors have spread that Ayman al-Zawahri had died from illness and since then, no video or proof of life surfaced, until Saturday, 9/11. Despite the video, it’s not clear or there is no concrete confirmation if Ayman al-Zawahri is still alive.
Al-Qaeda terrorist group has faced significant competition in jihadi circles from its arch-rival, the Islamic State in the recent years. In 2014, the Islamic State group rose to prominence after capturing large swathes of Iraq and Syria declaring a “caliphate” and extending affiliates to multiple countries across the region. Today the Islamic State has established provinces in various African countries including Somalia, DR Congo, Mozambique and other affiliates competing with Al-Qaeda in West Africa.
Though counterterrorism operations have significantly crushed Islamic State’s physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria, the militant group still maintains small active cells and still carries out attacks.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of IS was reportedly killed by U.S. special forces in a raid in northwestern Syria in October 2019.
Ayman al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, became the Emir of Al-Qaeda following the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs.
Al-Qaeda threat continue to multiply. Now after marking Sept.11, pro-Al-Qaeda magazine Wolves of Manhattan continue to flood incitement, reminding Al-Qaeda members to carryout attacks targeting Americans and their allies.
The pro-AQ magazine affiliated with the jihadist group Jaysh al-Malahim called for more attacks with aircraft same style as September 11, though this is not the first time that intentions of attacking the U.S. and its allies were voiced through magazines supporting Al-Qaeda.
