CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s al-Qaida branch announced on Tuesday that its top cleric, a Saudi-national who has had a $5 million bounty on his head, has been killed, allegedly in a drone attack.
Al-Qaida said in a statement posted on Twitter that Ibrahim al-Rubaish was killed, along with other, unnamed members of the group, by a drone late Sunday. The statement did not specify the location of the drone attack.
Yemeni and U.S. officials had no immediate comment on the claim.
Al-Rubaish, believed to be in his late 30s, was released from Guantanamo Bay in 2006, after which he joined al-Qaida in Yemen. He was considered the group’s the main ideologue and theological adviser and his writings and sermons were prominent in its publications.
Last year, he hailed the seizure of large swaths of land in Iraq and Syria by al-Qaida’s rival, the Islamic State group. “I ask God that efforts are united to target the enemies of the religion,” he said in a video recording at the time.
If the drone attack is confirmed, it would be the first use of unmanned aircraft since Yemen sank further into turmoil last month, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to launch airstrikes on March 26 in an attempt to halt Yemen’s Shiite rebels known as Houthis who have taken over much of the country.
The Houthi advance has also forced Yemen’s Western-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country as his government crumbled.
U.S. officials have said the collapse of Hadi’s government could undermine Washington’s counterterrorism strategy against al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen, known as Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Washington considers the branch to be the most powerful in the terrorist network.
In late March, about 100 U.S. military advisers withdrew from the al-Annad air base where they had been leading the U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Yemen.
Washington rarely comments on drone attacks. U.S. officials had been concerned their counterterrorism capabilities would be diminished because of the withdrawal of their staff. However, they said the al-Qaida branch will likely be drawn toward the internal Yemeni conflict, and away from plotting to go after Western targets.
Al-Qaida is a staunch rival of the Shiite rebels, and has already waged a number of attacks against their advances.
U.S. officials also said that CIA drone strikes would continue but that there will be fewer of them.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Okay, I confess: my drone. It was my taxes, specially earmarkedt to take out al Qaedaians, that nailed this bad boy.
So now, about those file million smackeroos: small denominations, unmarked bills, plain fresh paper bag, locker number at downtown bus depot to be provided.
I am not sure I would trust AQAP as a “news source” any more than I would trust Fox
I agree that you cannot trust al Qaeda as new source. I am hoping it is true though. It would save the American taxpayers $5 million if old age did not take its course and if no one claims responsibility
Assuming this is all true, then consider this.
Bill O"Reilly said that President Obama has declared “open season on white men and christians”. Mullah Ibrahim al-Rubbish was white and believed in jesus.
Does this logic make sense? Does it prove Bill O’Reilly right?
Wait a minute, there’s more. This al-Rubbish guy was Saudi? Aren’t Saudis all round wonderful, peace, god and freedom-loving folks who are our allies and abhor terrorism?
Why does Barack Hussein Obama keep coddling terrorists?
Also, Benghazziiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!111!!! ™
FIFY