Osama Bin Laden’s successor as Al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has resurfaced in a new video released by the terror group on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, months after reports that he was dead.
Rita Katz, Director of the US-based SITE Intelligence Gruop that tracks online jihadist activity, tweeted saying the new 60-minute video showed evidence that he was not dead as it referenced events after December, when rumours of his death surfaced.
Earlier Katz said that Al Qaeda’s As-Sahab had released part one of a book series by Zawahiri “with an introduction dated April 2021. The 852-page installment gives dedication to killed operatives.” However, with mention of Myanmar and other statements that could have been recorded a year back, it offered no proof that he was still alive. However, this was followed by a new 60-minute video that appeared to confirm he was alive after December as it referenced a raid on a Russian military base in Syria that Al Qaeda had claimed on January 1.
While Zawahiri mentions the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan and the US “making its exit” from Afghanistan, these could have been said as early as February 2020 upon the Doha Agreement, Katz noted.
She added that despite efforts by platforms like Telegram to take down such content, pro-Al Qaeda media groups were outpouring with 9/11 celebrations and incitements including posters, videos and hashtags
A United Nations report in June had speculated that Zawahiri was still alive and probably active near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
