Is Osama's son Hamza the new head of Al Qaeda?

The young man, now 28, has appeared since childhood in the propaganda network founded by his father.

Hamza, 15th of bin Laden's 20 children, might to unify jihadists around the world, taking advantage of the military weakness of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The young man, now 28, has appeared since childhood in the propaganda network founded by his father.

AFP quotes a report published by the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC), former FBI special agent and al-Qaida specialist Ali Soufan wrote: "Now in his late 20s, Hamza is being prepared for a leadership role in the organisation his father founded.

"As a member of the bin Laden dynasty, Hamza is likely to be perceived favourably by the jihadi rank-and-file.

"With the Islamic State 'caliphate' apparently on the verge of collapse, Hamza is now the figure best placed to reunify the global jihadi movement."

Hamza learned how to handle weapons, and ranted in his thin voice against Americans, Jews and "Crusaders" in videos uploaded online.

Even after separation, Hamza was in touch with his father through a sophisticated system of messengers. Laden wrote many letters to his son, some of which were found during the raid that killed the terrorist in Abbottabad, in Pakistan.

Hamza assured his father that he is "forged in steel" and ready "for victory or martyrdom".

"It remains to be seen how, exactly, the organisation will make use of him, but it is clear that his star is on the rise. That should worry policymakers in the West as well as in the Muslim world," Ali Soufan writes.

OneIndia News