Until Sunday, al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahri was one of the world’s most wanted men.
As the number one extremist on the FBI’s most wanted list, al-Zawahri and his deceased co-conspirator Osama Bin Laden were the masterminds behind the 9/11 attacks against the World Trade Centre in New York. Al-Zawahri was considered one of the leaders of terrorism that led the planning and execution of heinous terrorist operations in the US, Saudi Arabia and several other countries across the world.
The US government carried out an attack that killed al-Zawahri on July 31 while he stepped out on his balcony in Kabul, Afghanistan. Senior US officials told reporters that the attack was conducted by an unmanned drone, which fired two Hellfire missiles.
His name has been crossed off the FBI’s most wanted list, but there are about two dozen more names of suspected terrorists and extremists.
Here is a look at some of the other extremists topping the FBI’s most wanted terrorists list – including a relative of al-Zawahri.
Abd al Rahman al-Maghrebi
The son-in-law of al-Zawahiri, Abd al-Rahman al-Maghrebi, a Moroccan-born national, is wanted for questioning in connection with his membership in al-Qaeda, an organization known for committing acts of terrorism against the US. Al-Maghrebi reportedly studied software programming in Germany before traveling to Afghanistan where he was selected to manage al-Sahab, al-Qaeda’s primary media wing. Following the events of the 9/11 attacks in the US, al-Maghrebi fled to Iran and possibly travels between Iran and Pakistan, according to the FBI, which is offering a $7 million reward for his apprehension.
Sajid Mir
Sajid Mir is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Between November 26, 2008, and November 29, 2008, ten attackers trained by the Pakistan-based foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, including hotels, cafes, and a train station, killing approximately 170 people. Six Americans were killed during the three-day attacks.
Mir allegedly served as the chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks. Additionally, Mir allegedly conspired to commit a terrorist attack against a newspaper and its employees in Denmark between 2008 and 2009. Mir was indicted in the US on April 21, 2011, and was charged with conspiracy to injure the property of a foreign government; providing material support to terrorists; killing a citizen outside of the US and aiding and abetting; and the bombing of places of public use. An arrest warrant was issued on April 22, 2011. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.
Ishmail Muslim Ali
Ishmail Muslim Ali is wanted for his alleged involvement in the December 31, 1984, hijacking of American Airlines Flight 626 en route from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Ali, who was aboard the plane as a prisoner being transferred from the islands to a prison in New York, allegedly used a handgun hidden in the bathroom of the plane to hijack the plane to Havana, Cuba, according to the FBI. At the time, Ali was serving eight life sentences for the murders of eight tourists in St. Croix. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Ali on April 17, 1985, after he was charged with aircraft piracy.
Jaber A. Elbaneh
Elbaneh is wanted in connection with a federal criminal complaint unsealed on May 21, 2003, in the Western District of New York, Buffalo, New York. He is charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization and conspiring to provide material support, specifically to al-Qaeda. Elbaneh was last known to be in Yemen. The reward directly leading to his apprehension has been put at $5 million.
Saif al-Adel
Saif al-Adel is wanted by the FBI and thought to be a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda. He is wanted in connection to the 1998 bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. A reward of up to $10 million is being offered by the FBI for information leading directly to his arrest.
Mohammed Ali Hamadei
Mohammed Ali Hamadei is wanted by the FBI in connection to the 1985 hijacking of a plane which resulted in the murder of a US citizen. He is an alleged member of Lebanon’s Iranian proxy group Hezbollah. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar
Al-Munawar was indicted in the US district of Columbia for his alleged role in the September 5, 1986, hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73 during a stop in Karachi, Pakistan, according to the FBI. The attack reportedly resulted in the murder of 20 passengers and crew, including two American citizens, and the attempted murder of 379 passengers and crew, including 89 American citizens. The FBI said that al-Munawar is most likely residing in a Middle Eastern country. He is believed to be a member of the Abu Nidal organization. He is charged with damaging an aircraft, unlawful placing of a destructive device on an aircraft, performing an act of violence against an individual on an aircraft, hostage taking and the murder of US Nationals. The reward directly leading to his apprehension has been put at $5 million.