Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has called for revenge attacks in Saudi Arabia and on the West after the kingdom’s execution of some 40 jihadists, according to a message posted online.
In the message, Zawahiri called on supporters to attack “the Crusader-Zionist coalition whenever possible” and urged Saudis to overthrow the kingdom’s ruling family.
Saudi Arabia on January 2 executed 47 people, mostly jihadists convicted of involvement in Al-Qaeda attacks that killed Saudis and foreigners in the kingdom in 2003 and 2004.
A prominent Shiite cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, was also executed, sparking protests from Shiite-dominated Iran and a diplomatic crisis that saw Riyadh cut ties with Tehran.
Zawahiri said Nimr’s killing was “one of the manifestations of the Saudi-Iranian competition for power in the region, but under the umbrella of protecting and complying with the interests of America.”
