World’s 10 most dangerous terrorists

1. Ayman al-Zawahiri: Since Osama bin Laden's death, al-Zawahiri is taking advantage of the unrest which is presently sweeping the Arab countries. He is associated with groups like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. These two groups are well equipped to carry out attacks anywhere. He is also aware of the fact that repeating a terror attack like 9/11 is just a remote possibility, but he has suggested a shift to less ambitious and less expensive but highly disruptive attacks on 'soft' targets, as well as hostage-taking. In a recent audio message, he recommended taking people as hostage who are invading Muslim countries. He is an Egyptian doctor who is now 62. Though he does not inspire jihadis the way bin Laden used inspire them. The US Government has announced a reward for his capture at $25 million.

2

Nasir al Wuhayshi: He is about 36-years-old, but his terror activities are making huge headlines and in fact has made the US intelligence agencies quite inquisitiveness. He was bin Laden's private secretary in Afghanistan but after his death returned to his native land Yemen, where he was arrested but was out in 2006. He founded a new terror organisation in Yemen. He was behind the attack on US embassy in Yemen and considered as a new face of terror. He is also known for his sense of humour. If al-Zawahiri is Al Qaeda's CEO, then he is definitely is its COO. In 2012, he was already giving operational advice to Al Qaeda's affiliate in North Africa.

3

Ibrahim al-Asiri: He is 31-year-old Saudi, and is AQAP's master bomb-maker. He is widely thought to have designed the 'underwear' bomb that nearly brought down a US airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. He is one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. His trademark explosive is PETN -- a white, odourless powder than cannot be detected by most X-ray machines.

4

Ahmed Abdi Godane: He is also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubayr and became the leader of the Somali group Al-Shabaab at the end of 2008. The group has been focussed on bringing Islamic rule to Somalia but he appears to be refocussing the group on terrorist attacks beyond Somalia, against the east African States that are supporting the Somali Government -- especially Uganda and Kenya. In fact, the group was behind the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi on September 21. In 2010, the group had carried out suicide bombings in Kampala, in which more than 70 people were killed. But after the Westgate attack, his group has become a formal ally of Al Qaeda.

5

Mokhtar Belmoktar: He is Algerian but based in Sahel. Till last year, he was not even considered as world's most dangerous terrorist. But after the formation of an elite terror unit called "Those Who Sign With Blood," which he said would be the shield against the 'invading enemy' has placed him in the most wanted list. The US Government has kept a reward up to $5 million for information leading to his location.

6

Abu Muhammad al-Julani: He emerged as one of the most effective rebels after Syria faced civil war. His group -- the al-Nusra Front was formed in January 2012. According to various reports, the group has some 10,000 jihadis. It has acquired training in suicide bombings and IED attacks against regime forces and has attracted several fighters from other rebel groups. He has also pledged his group's alliance to al-Zawahiri in April. The US State Department has branded al-Nusra as part of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi was killed in a US missile strike in 2006.

7

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: He was born in Samarra and is in his early 40s. In a eulogy for bin Laden, he threatened violent retribution for his killing. The US Government has announced a reward upto $10 million for information leading to his location.

8

Sirajuddin Haqqani: He is known as Siraj and he is the son of Haqqani - the founder of the Haqqani Network. He is considered to be responsible for some of the deadly attacks in Kabul in recent years. According to various news reports, he also coordinated a 2008 suicide bomb attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul which left six dead. According to the US officials, the Haqqani Network is one of the most dreaded group as it has the presence in the tribal territories of Pakistan. The Obama Administration designated the Haqqani Network a terror group last year. It is regarded as well-funded because of a series of legitimate and illicit businesses that stretch to the Gulf. The US Government has kept a reward of $5 million.

9

Abubakar Shekau: He is leading Boko Haram, a Salafist group in northern Nigeria which is cooperating with other groups as far away as Mali. The group's main focus remains on churches and other Christian targets. In 2010, Shekau warned that the group would attack Western interests and the following year it carried out its first suicide bombing -- against UN offices in Abuja in which 23 people had lost their lives. The United States made him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2012. The US Government has announced a reward up to $7 million for his location.

10

Doku Umarov: He leads the Caucasus Emirate (CE), a Chechen group which has taken the responsibility to bring Islamic rule to southern Russia. He has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2010 by the US State Department. The US officials have been investigating whether the Tsarnaev brothers -- who were behind the Boston Marathon bombing in April -- had any links with Chechen terror groups. The group's main focus has been on attacking Russian institutions and civilian targets. In January 2011, it bombed Moscow's Domodedovo airport, killing 36 people, and suicide bombings of Moscow subway stations in 2010 killed 40 people. One of the Chechen websites describes that he was born in southern Chechnya in 1964, and his family as part of the 'intelligentsia'.