What Happened
A U.N. Security Council committee revealed that an operation in October 2020 ended with the arrest of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Khalid Batarfi and the killing of the group's No. 2 leader, Saad Atef al-Awlaqi, CNN reported Feb. 4.

Why It Matters
Batarfi is one of the most senior members of al Qaeda ever captured alive. His capture represents a propaganda blow against AQAP since al Qaeda prides itself on its leaders' willingness to embrace martyrdom, and routinely praises Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki for dying instead of being captured. The revelation of the capture will likely spawn more defections and undermine its ability to recruit new militants.

Background
AQAP has been linked to numerous transnational attacks, including the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack and the 2019 attack on a military base in Pensacola, Florida.