Al-Qaeda Confirms Ringleader Nasir Al-Wuhayshi Killed in Yemen

(FNA)- Al-Qaeda confirmed that Nasir al-Wuhayshi, its No. 2 figure and ringleader of its Yemeni affiliate, was killed in a strike.

In a video statement released early Tuesday by the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group confirmed his death and said his deputy, Qassim al-Rimi, has been named its new ringleader.

Al-Wuhayshi was the deputy of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and once served as Osama bin Laden's personal secretary.

The US State Department said he was "responsible for approving targets, recruiting new members, allocating resources to training and attack planning, and tasking others to carry out attacks".

He became head of AQAP when the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda merged in 2009.