Khalid Batarfi

Khalid Saeed Batarfi

Khalid Batarfi appearing in an AQAP video.
Nationality Yemeni
Other names Abu Miqdad al-Kindi
Known for Senior military commander in AQAP

Military career

Allegiance AQAP
(2009–present)
Rank Commander
Battles/wars

Yemeni Civil War

Khalid Saeed Batarfi, also known as Abu Miqdad al-Kindi,[1] is a Saudi Arabian militant and a senior member of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[2] He oversaw the Yemen-based group's media network[3] and led jihadist fighters in their takeover of Yemen's Abyan Governorate in 2011, where he was accorded the position of emir.[4][5] He also reputedly carried out terrorist attacks in the Abyan and Hadhramaut governorates.[3]

On 17 March 2011, Batarfi was captured by security forces in the Taiz Governorate.[3] For four years, he was imprisoned in Al Mukalla. He was freed, along with about 300 other inmates, by al Qaeda fighters on 2 April 2015, during the Battle of Al Mukalla.[2][5][6] The Washington Post compared the Al Mukalla prison break to the escape of 23 fighters, including future AQAP emir Nasir al-Wuhayshi, from a Saudi prison in 2006, a formative event for the group.[7]

Batarfi attracted media attention when he posed for photographs taken by al Qaeda members in the Hadhramaut governor's palace, which fighters took over.[5][8]

References

  1. Fighting Back: What Governments Can Do About Terrorism edited by Paul Shemella
  2. 1 2 "Officials: Al Qaeda fighters free 270 from Yemeni prison". CNN. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Three militants, three soldiers killed in Yemen". CNN. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  4. "Amid Yemen chaos, al Qaeda stages prison break". CBS News. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Spencer, Richard (4 April 2015). "The al-Qaeda commander at home in a governor's palace". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  6. Bacchi, Umberto (2 April 2015). "Yemen: Al-Qaeda frees 300 in al-Mukalla prison attack". International Business Times. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  7. Miller, Greg (5 April 2015). "Al-Qaeda franchise in Yemen exploits chaos to rebuild, officials say". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  8. Bacchi, Umberto (4 April 2015). "Yemen: Al-Qaeda operative Khalid Batarfi takes selfies inside Mukalla government". International Business Times. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
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