Al-Qaeda releases video featuring Hamza bin Laden on 9/11 anniversary

Al-Qaeda has released a 50-minute propaganda video titled ‘A Quarter Century of the 11 September Raids’ to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The footage, released by the group’s official media wing As-Sahab, features multiple appearances by Hamza bin Laden, the son and designated heir of former leader Osama bin Laden.

The appearance of Hamza bin Laden has drawn scrutiny from intelligence analysts, as the United States previously claimed he was killed during a counterterrorism operation along the Afghan-Pakistan border in 2019. In the video, he is depicted wearing a traditional white turban and seated next to an assault rifle.

Additionally, the video contains previously unseen images of former al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri. The production appears to promote the ideological doctrine of current al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adl while utilizing the Bin Laden name for recruitment purposes. The video also includes footage from a 2014 attack on the Karachi naval dockyard.