'Dead' Al Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri Appears In Video On 9/11 Anniversary

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has been long presumed dead, has emerged in a new video released on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

US-based SITE Intelligence Group reported that al-Zawahiri spoke on a number of issues, including a raid on a Russian military base, in the new hour-long video released by al Qaeda.

Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden | Wikipedia

However, he reportedly made no mention of the Taliban¡¯s takeover of Afghanistan.

In June, a UN report noted that a significant part of leadership of Al Qaeda resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border region, including al-Zawahiri, who is ¡°probably alive but too frail to be featured in propaganda¡±. "One member state reports that he is probably alive but too frail to be featured in propaganda,¡± the UN report said, without identifying the country.

17) Amid rumors of his death, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri shown in new 60-minute video, this time offering some evidence that he is not dead--particularly, reference to events after December, when rumors of death surfaced. (A speech from March offered no such proof) pic.twitter.com/IXpz6wIZvh

¡ª Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) September 11, 2021

¡°Amid rumors of his death, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is shown in a new 60-minute video, this time offering some evidence that he is not dead--particularly, reference to events after December, when rumors of death surfaced. (A speech from March offered no such proof),¡± Rita Katz, SITE¡¯s director, said in a tweet.

¡°Event Zawahiri referenced was a raid on a Russian military base by the al-Qaeda-aligned Hurras al-Deen in Syria, which it claimed on Jan 1 (after rumors/reporting of his death surfaced in Nov). Also introduces Zawahiri with "May Allah Protect Him¡±,¡± she added.

Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian, succeeded Osama Bin Laden as the chief of the group behind the 9/11 attacks.