Quick 🧵on jihadist reactions to #Zawahiri's death: Online supporters of al-Qaeda, including heavyweight clerics, have mourned the "martyrdom" of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, seeming to largely accept US announcement of 1 Aug that he was killed in a drone strike in Kabul /1
Al-Qaeda itself, however, has yet to officially comment on the subject /2
It is not yet clear who will succeed al-Zawahiri - a matter supporters have not yet been observed to discuss publicly. His only publicly-known deputy, Sayf al-Adl, is reportedly living in Iran, possibly under movement and security restrictions, according to jihadist accounts /3
On the messaging app Telegram and on Twitter, jihadist and Islamist writers showered praise and poetry on al-Zawahiri, referring to him as a "martyr" and paying tribute to his long jihadist history. Some cast doubt about the news or urged caution, but they were few /4
Meanwhile, supporters of al-Qaeda's jihadist rival, Islamic State group (IS), have been gloating about al-Zawahiri's death, referring to him disparagingly /5
They have also been using his reported killing in Kabul as "evidence" of the "treachery" of the Taliban, another staunch IS rival, and alleging collusion with the US in the killing. Some argued that the Afghan rulers must have been involved in or privy to the US operation /6
The Taliban have condemned the US air strike in Kabul, saying it was a violation, but without naming the high-profile target. News of the killing of al-Zawahiri in Kabul will be very uncomfortable for the Taliban, to say the least /7
Many jihadists, especially hardliners, will be looking to the Taliban with suspicion, wondering if it had a hand in the operation, even if some will not publicly voice their concerns /8
It will also be difficult for the Taliban to justify to the international community why one of the world's most wanted jihadist leaders was hiding, apparently in plain sight, in the their own backyard /9
The Afghan rulers had promised not to allow jihadists to use Afghan soil to plot attacks against the US and its allies, but I don't think they had promised to never give them shelter /10
Now Biden has under his belt the elimination, in under 6 months, the two most wanted jihadist leaders: IS leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi in Syria in Feb 2022, and now al-Qaeda leader Al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan 30/31 Jul
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