The US killed al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's senior sharia,
or Islamic law, official in a drone strike in early October, according
to a Yemeni journalist who is closely connected to the terror group.
Sheikh Abu Zubeir 'Adil al'Abab, the sharia official, was described as
AQAP's fourth-most important leader.
Al'Abab was the "fourth man in the hierarchy of Qaedat al-Jihad
Organization in the Arabian Peninsula," according to a report by Abdul
Razzaq al Jamal, which was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. A
close follower of AQAP, al Jamal has traveled and embedded with the
terror group, and
has interviewed many AQAP senior and midlevel officials.
He has also written articles that sympathized with the terror group's
attempts to control the region. AQAP has not released an official
martyrdom statement announcing al'Abab's death.
Al'Abab was killed
in the Oct. 4 drone strike that
targeted vehicles as they traveled in the Maqbala area in Shabwa
province. Four AQAP fighters were reportedly killed in the strike.
According to al Jamal, al'Abab was the most important AQAP leader
after Nasir al Wuhayshi, the group's emir; Said al Shihri, the deputy
emir; and Qassim al Rimi, AQAP's military commander. Al'Abab is also the
fourth-most important AQAP leader killed in a US drone strike after Abu
Ali al Harithi, Anwar al-Awlaki, and Fahd al Quso, according to al
Jamal.
As AQAP's sharia official, al'Abab provided religious justification
for AQAP's operations, including suicide attacks. Additionally, al'Abab
helped with AQAP's propaganda efforts. Al'Abab "contributed articles to
AQAP's Arabic magazine, 'Echo of the Epics' (Sada al- Malahem), and
answered questions about targeting non-Muslim civilians and Yemeni
soldiers in the fourth issue of AQAP's English magazine, 'Inspire,'"
according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
Washington Time
Kabul Time
London Time
