Jalal al-Seydi, the “emir” or “leader” of Al-Qaeda in the town of Loder, was killed in an airstrike, according to a security official. Al-Seydi was in a vehicle that was hit at Sawmaa in Al-Bayda Province. Seydi’s chief and guard were also reported to have been killed in the strike.
It has not yet been confirmed whether or not the strike was carried out by a US drone. However, the chances are likely that the US is responsible because it’s currently the only country operating drones over Yemen. US forces reportedly only disclose information on the long-running bombing campaign against al-Qaeda in Yemen sporadically.
US authorities claim that Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based sect, the one that resides in the Arabian Peninsula and was commanded by Seydi, is the most dangerous of all Al-Qaeda groups in Yemen. US officials claim that the group rose to power after a conflict between the government and Shiite Huthi rebels that were looking to expand their presence in Yemen left a “power vacuum” to be filled.
[revad2]
