Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on Sunday confirmed the death of its leader Qassim al-Rimi and appointed a successor, weeks after the US said it had "eliminated" the Islamist militant chief, SITE Intelligence group said.
The announcement came in an audio speech delivered by AQAP religious official Hamid bin Hamoud al-Tamimi, said the group which monitors jihadist networks worldwide.
"In his speech, Tamimi spoke at length about Rimi and his jihadi journey, and stated that Khalid bin Umar Batarfi is the new leader of AQAP," it said.