A new Al Qaeda threat could be led by Osama bin Laden's son, the United Nations warned in a report given to the U.N. Security Council this week, Fox News reported.
While the Islamic State is being defeated in Iraq and Syria, Al Qaeda is making a resurgence even though its prominence had faded as countries concentrated on ISIS, Fox News said. Hamza bin Laden, 29, has "continued to emerge as a leadership figure in Al Qaeda," the report claimed.
The report said the Al Qaeda leadership has built a strong structure in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Yemen, whose government cannot effectively combat their presence.
"The leadership of the Al Qaeda core recognizes Yemen as a venue for guerrilla-style attacks and a hub for regional operations," the U.N. report said, pointing out Hamza bin Laden's role there. "The lack of a strong central government in Yemen has provided a fertile environment for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to establish itself.
"Hamza bin Laden issued a statement in March 2018, citing the role of AQAP, threatening Saudi Arabia and calling on the people of the Arabian Peninsula to revolt," the report continued.
The Guardian reported earlier this month that Hamza bin Laden has reportedly married the daughter of Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker in the 9/11 terror attacks, according to the bin Laden family.
The news of the marriage, coupled with him taking a senior position within Al Qaeda, is believed to be a signal that he is aiming to avenge his father's death, Osama bin Laden's half-brother Ahmad, told The Guardian.
According to the newspaper, Hamza bin Laden is the son of the former Al Qaeda leader who was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011, and Khairiah Sabar. Sabar, one of three surviving wives of Osama bin Laden, was with him when Americans stormed the compound in Abbottabad, The Guardian said.
Since his father's death, Hamza bin Laden has made public statements ordering Al Qaeda followers to wage war on Washington, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv and is seen as a deputy to the terrorist group's current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, The Guardian reported.
"Al Qaeda and its affiliates remain stronger than ISIL in Yemen, Somalia and parts of West Africa, while its alliance with the Taliban and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan remains firm despite rivalry from the local ISIL affiliate," the U.N. report said.
"The sustained coalition of terrorist groups in Mali and the Sahel is concerning and could supply a model for future cooperation and interchange between terrorists in some arenas. Some member states see Al Qaeda as a greater long-term challenge to international security than ISIL," the report continued.
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