The U.S. State Department has claimed that there are additional Al-Qaeda leaders in Iran and subsequently announced a reward for any information that may aid towards their capture.
A total of five Al-Qaeda key figures have so far been added to the U.S. government’s list of specially designated global terrorists of which are believed to operating inside Iran.
The U.S. State Department specifically offered reward for information on the whereabouts of ‘Abd al Rahman al Maghrebi, a senior al Qaeda leader believed to be in Iran.
Muhammad Abbatay, more commonly known as ‘Abd al Rahman al Maghrebi is a Moroccan national and intelligence reports indicate that he is the son-in-law al Qaeda’s global leader, Ayman al Zawahiri.
Al Maghrebi was born on July 1, 1970 and has served in a number of senior roles in the ranks of the Al-Qaeda. He has been described as a longtime director of As Sahab, Al-Qaeda’s central media arm, as well as the “head” of the group’s “External Communications Office. He is believed to be coordinating Al-Qaeda activities among the group’s affiliates.
The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced, a reward of up to $7 million for information on Maghrebi’s whereabouts. The State Department says that Maghrebi has been a rising in ranks within Al-Qaeda “for many years.
The State Department now believes that Maghrebi is located in Iran. In addition to Maghrebi, the State Department designated a senior al Qaeda figure known as Sultan Yusuf Hasan al ‘Arif, and three other Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists (all Iraqis); Isma’il Fu’ad Rasul Ahmed, Fuad Ahmad Nuri Ali al-Shakhan, and Niamat Hama Rahim Hama Sharif.
The U.S. State Department also highlighted that Yasin al-Suri, one of Al-Qaeda’s top facilitators, and Saif al Adel, one of Ayman al Zawahiri’s deputy emirs, are belived to be located inside Iran.
The State Department announced a reward offer for information on Saif al Adel, who is based in Iran and one of Al-Qaeda’s deputy leaders.
