Al-Qaeda Leader Killed in Marib: A Major Blow to the Terror Group

A prominent leader of al-Qaeda, Fawaz Al-Qusaymi, was killed in a targeted assassination by an unidentified gunman in the Wadi Ubayda district, east of Marib Governorate.

According to local security and media sources, the deceased, known within the terrorist group as "Ahmed Al-Qahtani," was a foreign national and one of the founding members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Qusaymi was renowned for his extensive experience in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

This assassination marks a significant blow to the al-Qaeda group, which has been suffering from increasing vulnerability following a series of targeted strikes on its key leadership.

Mohammed bin Faisal, an expert on terrorist groups, described the death of Al-Qusaymi as a "devastating blow" to the group, emphasizing his involvement in foreign operations and his management of al-Qaeda cells in the Mahra Governorate.

The group has suffered considerable losses in recent months, with five of its senior leaders killed. Four were killed in U.S. airstrikes in the Shabwa and Abyan Governorates, while the fifth was assassinated in Marib.

Among the leaders killed were: "Abu Mohammed Al-Hazli Maki," "Ayyub Al-Lahji," former Emir of Lahij, "Abu Yusuf Al-Hadrami," "Abu Ali Al-Disi," the war emir and member of the Shura Council, and "Ammar Al-Awlaqi," known as "Abu Saleh Al-Diyouli."

Observers note that these successive losses have weakened al-Qaeda's operational capabilities, paving the way for intensified international and local efforts to eradicate the remaining influence of the terrorist group.