Israeli operatives killed al Qaeda’s No. 2 chief in Iran in August: Experiences
Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, accused of serving to to mastermind the 1998 bombings of 2 U.S. embassies in Africa, used to be killed in Iran in August by way of Israeli operatives performing on the behest of the USA, media studies stated on Friday, mentioning intelligence officers.
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by way of the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, used to be gunned down by way of two males on a motorbike within the streets of Tehran on Aug. 7, media studies stated.
The killing of Masri, who used to be noticed as a most probably successor to al Qaeda’s present chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, used to be saved secret till now, the newspaper stated.
It used to be unclear what, if any, position the USA had within the killing of the Egyptian-born militant, the Instances stated. U.S. government were monitoring Masri and different al Qaeda operatives in Iran for years, it stated.
Al Qaeda has now not introduced his demise, Iranian officers have coated it up and no executive has publicly claimed duty, media studies stated.
A U.S. reliable, chatting with Reuters on situation of anonymity, declined to substantiate any main points of the Instances’ tale or say whether or not there used to be any U.S. involvement. The White Space Nationwide Safety Council didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Masri, one in all al Qaeda’s founding leaders, used to be killed at the side of his daughter, the widow of former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Weighted down’s son, Hamza bin Weighted down, media studies stated.
Osama bin Weighted down orchestrated the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults on the USA and used to be killed in a U.S. raid in Pakistan in 2011.
Shi’ite Iran and al Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim militant group, have lengthy been enemies.
Masri were in Iran’s “custody” since 2003 however were dwelling freely in an upscale suburb of Tehran since 2015, the Instances cited unnamed U.S. intelligence officers as announcing.
U.S. counterterrorism officers consider Iran, additionally a U.S. enemy, could have allow them to are living there to behavior operations towards U.S. goals, media studies stated.
It used to be now not instantly identified what, if any, affect Masri’s demise has had on al Qaeda’s actions. Even because it has misplaced senior leaders within the just about 20 years for the reason that assaults on New York and Washington, it has maintained energetic associates from the Center East to Afghanistan to West Africa.