Al-Qaida's Yemen branch says leader Khalid al-Batarfi dead in unclear circumstances
The leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida is dead
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The leader of Yemen's branch of al-Qaida is dead, the militant group announced late Sunday, without giving details.
Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S. government over leading the group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, through years that saw him imprisoned, freed in a jailbreak, and governing forces in Yemen amid that country's grinding war.
Though believed to be weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected U.S. drone strikes killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP has long been considered the most dangerous branch of the extremist group still operating after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden.
Al-Qaida released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a white funeral shroud and al-Qaida's black-and-white flag.
