Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri killed: Who is next in line to succeed him?
India TodayAyman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian surgeon who assumed the leadership of al-Qaeda after the killing of Osama bin Laden, died at 71 in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, over the weekend, according to US officials. As per a report by the UN Security Council, dated July 15, 2022, Al Zawahiri’s apparent increased comfort and ability to communicate has coincided with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the consolidation of power of key al-Qaeda allies within their de facto administration. During the reporting period, Aiman Muhammed Rabi al-Zawahiri increased outreach to al-Qaeda supporters with a number of video and audio messages, including his own statement promising that al-Qaeda was equipped to compete with ISIL, in a bid to be recognized again as the leader of a global movement, as per the UNSC report. Also Read | What is Hellfire R9X missile, believed to have killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri