Report: Saif al-Adel, the architect of the alliance of Iran and al-Qaeda in Yemen (translation)
English - Thursday 10 August 2023 الساعة 04:53 pmThe English-language website (Yemen Details), which tracks terrorist organizations, has published the secrets of the alliance between the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Al-Qaeda in Yemen.
The report, prepared by Yemeni journalist Kholoud Al-Halali, revealed the details of the success of the first test of the alliance between Iran, Al-Qaeda and the Houthis in Yemen, and presented facts and intelligence information that revealed a frightening picture of the war against terrorism in this region, which is already inflamed by wars and conflicts.
The site quoted Yemeni and regional intelligence sources as saying that Khaled Saif al-Adl, the son of al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adl, who was residing with his father in Iran until 2015, witnessed the first prisoner exchange deal between Iran and al-Qaeda in Yemen, according to which the regime was released. The Iranian authorities announced a number of al-Qaeda leaders detained in Iran, in exchange for al-Qaeda releasing the cultural attaché at the Iranian embassy in Yemen, called Noor Ahmad Nakbakht, who was kidnapped in 2013.
This operation was the first launch of the alliance between the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and al-Qaeda, and the engineer for the success of this deal was the Egyptian terrorist Saif al-Adl, who is still in Iran, through his terrorist son Khaled Saif al-Adl after he moved from Iran by sea to Yemen in mid-2015 AD, under the direction of His father, after al-Qaeda took control of the city of Mukalla and a number of coastal districts of Hadramout.
According to intelligence sources, the terrorist, Khaled al-Adl, moved from Iran to Yemen, accompanied by al-Qaeda leaders who were released by Iran in a prisoner exchange deal, and they are:
- The terrorist / Mubashir Al-Qahtani - a leader in Al-Qaeda - a Saudi national.
- The terrorist Abu Youssef Al-Kuwaiti - a leader in Al-Qaeda - a Kuwaiti national - married to the sister of the terrorist Khaled Saif Al-Adl.
- The terrorist / Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Zahrani - alias Abu Maryam Al-Azdi - a Saudi national - he was executed on charges of espionage.
- The terrorist Al-Zubair Al-Maghribi - a leader in Al-Qaeda.
Intelligence sources confirm that the terrorist Khaled Saif al-Adel’s transfer to Yemen came after the agreement that took place between his father, Saif al-Adl, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, where Saif al-Adel sent his son Khaled to Yemen to carry out the task of convincing the organization’s senior leaders of the need to implement what was agreed upon between him and Iran. .
Among the most prominent contents of this agreement: the non-participation of Al-Qaeda in the war against the Houthi militia, in addition to not carrying out any suicide operations in the areas under the control of the Houthis, and that their focus and attention during this period is on building and strengthening the organization through polarization and recruitment, and the establishment of camps, Training and arming, and for the organization to expand its control in the liberated areas, and to target the interests of America and the West in the region, which is represented in targeting the interests of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as they are allies of America in the region.
According to the site, these new changes were clearly reflected in the orientations and activities of Al-Qaeda on the ground since 2017 AD, when Al-Qaeda stopped fighting the Houthi militia on various fronts, as well as stopping the implementation of any terrorist operations in the areas controlled by the Houthi militia.
On the contrary, al-Qaeda worked intensively to target forces and leaders supported by the Arab coalition, in addition to attempts to carry out terrorist operations against American interests in the region, including planning to target American ships and warships in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Yemeni intelligence sources say that Khaled Saif al-Adl, who arrived in Yemen and settled in Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, in late 2015, worked after months in the media committee of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which was run by the terrorist / Khaled Batarfi (now the emir of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula), His eagerness to work in the Media Committee was due to the strong relationship between Batarfi and Mustafa Hamed, known as Abu Al-Walid Al-Masry (one of the organization's top leaders - who is in Iran - and is related to the terrorist Khaled Saif Al-Adl).
In 2016, after the withdrawal of Al-Qaeda from Mukalla, the terrorist Khaled Saif Al-Adl moved with the leaders of the organization to Al-Jawf Governorate and settled with his family, and in 2020 he moved to Hadramout. The sources confirm that Khaled Saif al-Adl worked during the first five years in a number of sectors of the organization, where he worked in the security wing of the organization run by the terrorist Ibrahim al-Banna (Egyptian), then he worked as a coordinator in the organization’s Shura Council, and he also worked in the organization’s external operations committee, in addition to His work in the media committee for the organization.
During this period, Khaled Saif al-Adl practiced his work near the top of the leadership hierarchy of the organization represented by the Emir, members of the Shura Council, and officials of the committees, which enabled him to see many secrets and mysteries of the organization, and gained him great experience in leadership, and he was also able to get to know many leaders and was able He built wide relations with many of those leaders, as he was able during those years to attract many leaders of the first and second ranks in al-Qaeda and opened a channel of communication for them with his father, Saif al-Adl, who is in Iran. Among the most prominent of these leaders are:
- Ibrahim Al-Banna - (in charge of the security wing of the organization).
- Khaled Batarfi - (Responsible for the media committee of the organization).
- Abdullah Al-Mubarak - (Responsible for the Sharia and Judicial Committee for Organization).
He also managed to win over the murdered terrorist Ammar Al-Sana’ani (Emir of the military wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula from 2015-2022 AD, and he also worked to open a direct communication channel between Al-Sana’ani and his father, Saif Al-Adl, as the latter was able to convince Al-Sana’ani not to carry out any suicide operations, bombings, or assassinations in the regions Control of the Houthi militia, as well as non-participation in any armed confrontations against the Houthis on all fronts of fighting in Yemen.
Execution of opponents of the agreement with Iran
Sources say that Khaled Saif al-Adl is also behind the executions and liquidation of many important leaders of al-Qaeda during the period from 2016-2020 AD, as he, through the elements of the security wing of the organization, accused opponents of implementing the agreement with Iran of espionage for international intelligence services, (and most of those who were executed Their executions were Yemeni and Saudi leaders, and they believed that the priority of al-Qaeda’s goals was the fight against the Houthis). Their executions were carried out in coordination, with the arrangement and complicity of the official of the security wing and the official of the organization’s Judicial and Sharia Committee (and at the behest of Saif al-Adl through his son Khaled), which led to the growth of the influence of the current. Saif al-Adel within the organization in Yemen.
Among the most prominent leaders of Al-Qaeda who were executed are:
- Hamza Al-Karbi - alias Hamza Al-Sharuri - a Saudi national - he worked as a financial official for the organization in Hadramout Governorate - he was executed in the organization's camp in Al-Khasf area in Al-Jawf Governorate in 2017.
- Abdullah Al-Salami - alias Abu Amer - a Saudi national - was a military leader in the Al-Qaeda organization in Al-Bayda Governorate. He was executed in the organization's camp in the Al-Khasif region in Al-Jawf Governorate in 2017.
- Abu Omar Al-Shehri - a Saudi national - he worked as a military leader in Al-Qaeda in Al-Bayda Governorate. He was executed in the organization's camp in Al-Khasif area in Al-Jawf Governorate in 2018.
- Muhammad Othman - aka / Abu Turab Al-Sudani - a Sudanese national - he was working as a leader in the financial aspect of Al-Qaeda in Yemen. He was executed in the organization's camp in Al-Khasif region, Al-Jawf Governorate, in 2017.
- Hossam Al-Khalidi - a Saudi national - he was working as a military leader in Al-Qaeda in Hadhramaut Governorate, he was liquidated in one of the organization's shelters in the city of Al-Shihr, Hadhramaut Governorate in 2016.
- Zain Allah Al-Sai'ari - He was a leader in Al-Qaeda in Hadramout Governorate. He was executed in the organization's camp in Al-Khasif area, Al-Jawf Governorate, in 2017.
- Rashid Al-Habashi - a field leader in Al-Qaeda, who was executed in one of the organization's camps, Al-Musaina, Shabwa Governorate, in 2019.
- Abd al-Rahman Jamil - alias Abu al-Hassan al-Ta'azi - a military leader of al-Qaeda in Abyan governorate, who was executed in one of the organization's camps in Abyan in 2018.