US pledging financial reward for information on al-Qaeda’s Annabi

Ahmed Adel

The United States pledged on June 2 $7 million for whoever would provide it with information about the current commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi.

Al-Annabi is also the head of what is known as the Elites Council, a decision-making body of al-Qaeda which is mostly active in the African Sahel region.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb declared al-Annabi as its emir in November 2020. He succeeded Abdelmalek Droukdel who was killed in June 2020.

Al-Annabi served as a member of the Consultative Council of al-Qaeda before getting the latest promotion. He played an effective role inside the terrorist organization just like Droukdel did.

He is an Algerian national who swore allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. He also served as the media spokesman of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is responsible for the kidnap and killing of American citizens.

The US State Department designated the organization a “terrorist” one in March 2007.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is originally the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. The group joined al-Qaeda in September 2006.

Al-Annabi was born in the northeastern Algerian city of Annaba. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the university of the city.

He received training inside al-Qaeda’s camps in Afghanistan in the early 1990s, before he joined what was known as the Algerian Salvation Army in 1993. The army functioned as the military arm of the Islamic Salvation Front.