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Top al-Qaeda operatives freed in prisoner swap with Iran
Source: Washington Post
Top al-Qaeda operatives freed in prisoner swap with Iran
By Adam Goldman September 18 at 2:25 PM
The Iranian government has released a number of top al-Qaeda operatives that it has held for years in exchange for one of the country’s diplomats who was kidnapped in Yemen, U.S. officials confirmed.
The release could provide an immediate boost to al-Qaeda, whose leadership has been significantly degraded by a CIA drone campaign.
The development was first reported this week by Britain’s Sky News, which said the men were released this year in exchange for the Iranian diplomat. He was reportedly abducted in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in 2013.
Officials said it’s unclear whether the men were released in Yemen or another al-Qaeda stronghold, possibly in Syria or the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Among those freed were two key Egyptians, Saif al-Adel, the group’s chief of military operations, and Abu Kayr al Masri, who once ran al-Qaeda’s management council.
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By Adam Goldman September 18 at 2:25 PM
The Iranian government has released a number of top al-Qaeda operatives that it has held for years in exchange for one of the country’s diplomats who was kidnapped in Yemen, U.S. officials confirmed.
The release could provide an immediate boost to al-Qaeda, whose leadership has been significantly degraded by a CIA drone campaign.
The development was first reported this week by Britain’s Sky News, which said the men were released this year in exchange for the Iranian diplomat. He was reportedly abducted in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in 2013.
Officials said it’s unclear whether the men were released in Yemen or another al-Qaeda stronghold, possibly in Syria or the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Among those freed were two key Egyptians, Saif al-Adel, the group’s chief of military operations, and Abu Kayr al Masri, who once ran al-Qaeda’s management council.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/top-al-qaeda-operatives-freed-in-prisoner-swap-with-iran/2015/09/18/02bc58e2-5e0c-11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html
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