Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, what has happened to al-Qaeda? – explainer

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, al-Qaeda, founded by Osama bin Laden, continues to be a source of support and inspiration for terrorists globally, particularly in Africa, despite significant setbacks. The group emerged in the late 1980s, attracting militants hostile to the United States and Israel, and carried out attacks such as the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, and the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people. Following 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan, killing bin Laden in 2011 and his successor Ayman al-Zawahri in 2022. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of 9/11, was captured in 2003 and is set to stand trial in 2028.

Mohammed said he planned the attack "from A to Z."

Al-Qaeda's influence spread through affiliates and inspired attacks in Bali (2002), Madrid (2004), and London (2005). While its influence peaked around 2013, the rise of ISIS as a rival and the breakaway of the Nusra Front in 2016 impacted the group. Today, al-Qaeda-aligned groups like Al Shabaab and JNIM are most active in Somalia and West Africa's Sahel region, expanding their influence and governing territory. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also receives ideological guidance and support from al-Qaeda, with a UN report indicating al-Qaeda "continued to enjoy the patronage of the de facto authorities" in Afghanistan.