Al-Qaeda has appointed Ayman al-Zawahiri as leader following the death of Osama Bin Laden, the organisation’s general command says in a statement.
Bin Laden was killed by US forces in Pakistan in early May.
In the statement, al-Qaeda “announces that Sheikh Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, may God guide him, assumed responsibility as the group’s amir [leader]”.
It warned it would continue to fight a jihad or holy war against the US and Israel under his direction.
