Nasir al-Wuhayshi, al Qaeda's second in command and former aide to OBL, reportedly killed in drone strike in Yemen; Update: ISIS takes a victory lap

Greg P. | 7:31 AM on June 16, 2015

There is possibly some good news out of Yemen this morning.

Media sources are reporting that al Qaeda has confirmed that Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the terror group’s second in command and a former aide to Osama bin Laden, was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Friday:

Al Qaeda Confirms Death of AQAP Leader and 2nd in Commandhttp://t.co/tGBwcJ2Kq3

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) June 16, 2015

.@clarissaward on @CBSThisMorning: AQAP #2, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, served as Osama Bin Laden's personal secretary & led ops in Yemen since 2002

— Norah O'Donnell?? (@NorahODonnell) June 16, 2015

This is most significant U.S. counter-terrorism success since killing of Osama bin Laden. — Mike Morell on killing of Nasir al-Wuhayshi

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) June 16, 2015

Al-Qaeda leader in the Arabian Peninsula Nasir al-Wuhayshi , the second in command to al-Zawahiri, was killed in US drone strike last week.

— Megari Larbi (@Larbi71) June 16, 2015

From NBC News:

In addition to leading AQAP — considered to be the terror organization’s most important affiliate — Wuhayshi was said to be “operations manager” of al Qaeda Central, reporting directly to Ayman al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri assumed command of the terror group after bin Laden’s 2011 death and retains leadership of al Qaeda in Pakistan, but his mobility is limited and he is unable to plan much of anything, said a U.S. counterterrorism official. On the other hand, said the official, Wuhayshi, “by virtue of where he is,” can plan external operations against the West.

Wuhayshi, a 38-year-old Yemeni, served as a secretary to bin Laden at the time of the September 11 attacks and then rose in the al Qaeda hierarchy. After 9/11, he fled Afghanistan as U.S. forces moved in, and was arrested after crossing the border into Iran. Iranian authorities turned him over to authorities in his native Yemen, where he escaped from prison and reconnected with al Qaeda.