Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Al-Qaeda has released a new propaganda video featuring Hamza bin Laden, the son of the group’s founder Osama bin Laden, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, raising renewed international concerns about the militant network’s presence and activities in Afghanistan.
The nearly 50-minute video, titled A Quarter Century of the 11 September Raids, was published by Al-Qaeda’s media wing, As-Sahab, days before the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States. The footage shows Hamza bin Laden describing Islam as being engaged in an “all-out war” and urges supporters to continue jihad, according to intelligence monitoring organizations.
The release is significant because it includes what analysts describe as the first publicly circulated footage of Hamza bin Laden in years. U.S. officials reported in 2019 that Hamza had been killed in a counterterrorism operation near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but Al-Qaeda has never officially confirmed his death or issued a funeral statement for him.
According to intelligence monitoring platform Hamer Intelligence, the new production differs from previous As-Sahab videos because it makes fewer apparent attempts to conceal filming locations or environmental details. Analysts say the clearer visual background could indicate increased confidence within Al-Qaeda’s propaganda apparatus or an effort to demonstrate the group’s continued operational relevance.
The video also contains previously unseen footage of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul in 2022. Security analysts quoted by Indian media said the production appears designed to reinforce the leadership of current Al-Qaeda chief Saif al-Adl while leveraging the Bin Laden name for recruitment and ideological influence.
The publication comes as international security agencies continue to warn that Al-Qaeda maintains an active presence in Afghanistan despite repeated assurances from the Taliban that Afghanistan territory will not be used to threaten other countries.
The United Nations has repeatedly reported that Al-Qaeda continues to operate in Afghanistan and maintains longstanding ties with Taliban members. Recent UN monitoring reports said the group has training facilities, safe houses and senior operatives in several Afghanistan provinces, while describing its relationship with the Taliban as close despite public denials from Taliban authorities.
Former Afghan intelligence officials have also alleged that Hamza bin Laden has been present in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Ahmad Zia Saraj, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, and former deputy intelligence official Ajmal Obaid Abidi have claimed Hamza was seen in Kandahar and, at times, Panjshir. Those claims have not been independently verified.
The Taliban has consistently rejected accusations that it harbors Al-Qaeda leaders, insisting it is complying with commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for international attacks.
Counterterrorism experts say the timing of the video’s release is unlikely to be accidental. As-Sahab has historically used major anniversaries, including September 11, to distribute propaganda aimed at supporters and sympathizers while attempting to demonstrate that Al-Qaeda remains active despite years of leadership losses and military pressure.
The latest video is expected to intensify scrutiny of Al-Qaeda’s activities in Afghanistan and renew questions about the group’s ability to maintain regional networks and produce high-profile propaganda nearly five years after the Taliban regained control of the country.