Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi
Abu Ali al-Harithi | |
|---|---|
أبو علي الحارثي | |
Harithi in an undated photograph | |
| 1st Leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen | |
| In office Before 2000 – 3 November 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed al-Ahdal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harithi 1955 |
| Died | 3 November 2002 (aged 47) Marib, Marib Governorate, Yemen |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Islamic Jihad in Yemen (1990–1994)
Al-Qaeda (1990–2002) Al-Qaeda in Yemen (before 2000–2002) |
| Years of service | 1980s–2002 |
| Rank | Leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen |
| Battles/wars | |
Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harithi (1955 – 3 November 2002), also known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Harithi, was a Yemeni Islamist militant who served as the leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen (AQY) from some time before 2000 until his death in 2002.
Harithi developed a relationship with Osama bin Laden while fighting alongside him in the Soviet–Afghan War. He was sent to Yemen by Bin Laden in the late 1990s to assist in planning al-Qaeda attacks. Harithi was regarded as the highest-ranking leader among al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen by late 2001. He was implicated in several al-Qaeda attacks in Yemen, including the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 and the MV Limburg bombing in October 2002. Harithi was killed in a drone strike conducted by the United States on 3 November 2002.