Who will succeed slain Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri: US says scenario unclear

A mysterious figure who was formerly with the special forces of Egypt is believed to be heading the Al-Qaeda following the death of Ayman Al-Zawahiri

New Delhi, Jan 11: The Al-Qaeda is yet to find a successor to Ayman al-Zawahiri who was killed in a US strike last year in Afghanistan.

US Intelligence officials cited by Reuters said that it remains unclear as to who would succeed Zawahiri. Christine Abizad, the Director of the US National Counterterrorism Centre while replying to a question said that the question for the Al Qaeda, that it has not answered for itself is who follows Zawahiri.

Former Egyptian special forces officer, Saif al-Adel, a mysterious figure is seen by experts as the one who is the top commander of the terror outfit for the time-being. The US is offering a reward of upto USD 10 million for information leading to his arrest, Reuters also reported.

Abizad said that the US is facing an unpredictable environment and added that Americans must remain vigilant at all times about the over-seas based extremist organisations such as the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

The online environment is where most of the radicalisation is taking place, she said.

In November the Department of Homeland had said that the US threat environment will remain heightened in the coming months, with lone offenders and groups motivated by a range of ideologies posing a danger.

In December last year, the Al-Qaeda ahed released an undated 35-minute video its slain leader Al-Zawahiri and the group had said that the recording was narrated by him.

The New York Times had said that for many years it was believed that Zawahiri was hiding in the border area of Pakistan and it remains unclear why he returned to Afghanistan. Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, it is believed that Al-Zawahiri's family returned to the safe house in Kabul.

Reports also said that the slain chief of the terror group was being sheltered somewhere in Karachi and following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, he was moved to Kabul.

While the US has not acknowledged the same, there are reports which indicate that the Pakistanis had helped Washington in taking Al-Zawahiri down.