AL Qaeda’s Yemen Leader Arrested According to UN Security Council Report

Al-Qaeda’s leader in Yemen has been detained and under arrest for several months according to a UN security council report on the third of February.

The report had stated that Khalid Bhatarfi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had been arrested during a security operation in Ghayda. The jihadist’s deputy, Saad Atef al-Alwaqi, had perished during the “operation in Ghayda City, Al-Mahrah Governorate, in October.”

 

While there had been several unverified reports on Batarfi’s arrest, the report sent to the Security Council from the UN was the first to verify this information.

 

When asked whether or not they felt safer in the world that people like Batarfi are actively being arrested or bombed back, Alex Gallow from 9th grade said,” Yes. I do think that the world feels slightly safer now that acts of terrorism are taken more seriously.”

 

It remains unknown as to why it had taken several months to confirm and reveal Batarfi’s capture. However, some students at Aisg speculate that it had been due to interrogation or torture.

 

Frank Oyang from 12th grade thinks that Batarfi during this time period had most likely undergone advanced interrogation by the UN and quite possibly torture.

 

However, the broad report on jihadist extremism filed to the Security Council did not disclose the location where Batarfi was being held.

 

AQAP is believed to have appointed Batarfi as the leader in his 40s around February of 2020. This is due to the death of his predecessor Qassim al-Rimi who had died because of a US airstrike in Yemen.

 

While Batarfi remains as a relatively unknown figure and a recent up and comer in Al-Qaeda, he has been present in several AQAP videos over the past couple of years and had appeared to be the previous leader’s spokesman.

 

America thinks that AQAP is one of the most dangerous jihadist branches in the world. While not announcing nor confirming Batarfi’s capture is questionable, capturing extremists like him is already saving thousands of lives.