Jihadi Jitters: Al-Qaeda Sympathizers Panic As Leaders Killed Off

Vocativ
By: Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

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Counterterrorism strikes in Yemen which have successfully picked off leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are sowing seeds of panic and fear among jihadist sympathizers, an analysis by Vocativ has found.

Members of two ISIS and jihadi-backed forums this week erupted into accusations of espionage and western infiltration within AQAP following a strike that killed Ibrahim al-Arbaysh, the group’s spiritual leader. Critics, who took to the al-Manbar and Shumukh al-Islam forums, went so far as to question whether the terrorist network could provide basic levels of security for its forces…

Patrick Skinner, a counter-terrorism expert with The Soufan Group, adds that the jihadi jitters underscore the efficacy of drone strikes, which are controversial. “This shows the power of the tactic,” he says. “They’ve effectively thrown these groups off balance. You want them to accuse each other of espionage, to tear themselves apart…”

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To read the full article please click on the link below:
http://www.vocativ.com/world/yemen-world/jihadi-jitters-sympathizers-panic-as-more-leaders-killed-off/