Al Qaeda urges followers to hit back at U.S. following Yemen raid

Al Qaeda’s offshoot in Yemen exhorted followers over the weekend to take on the U.S. in response to a raid by American commandos that killed senior figures in the group, while the militants launched fresh attacks on territory held by the internationally recognized government.

Qasim al-Raymi, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, compared his group to extremists fighting American forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, according to a speech translated by SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist activities and messaging.

“My message to our lions in the battlefield [is] here comes America, stepping on your land with its arrogance and pride,” Mr. Raymi said on Saturday, according to SITE. “Remind it with the raids of Mogadishu, the victories of Kandahar, and the persistence of Fallujah,” he added, referring to cities in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.

“Burn the land beneath their feet and make them hear the whispers of Satan,” Mr. Raymi urged, referring to President Donald Trump as “the new fool of the White House.”

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Featured image courtesy of AFP.