The U.S. Hellfire missiles that killed Ayman al-Zawahri dealt al-Qaida a powerful symbolic blow, but its far-flung branches are tactically independent and will not be deterred from plotting more attacks on local and Western targets, experts say.
On his watch — which began with the 2011 death of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida's original driving force — the group often lost ground to the Islamic State in a contest for relevance, especially among young jihadi fighters lured by the newer group's self-proclaimed caliphate.
Handicapped by a reputation for inflexibility and small-mindedness, and not widely popular, al-Zawahri could not match bin Laden's flair for reaching out from al-Qaida's hideouts in south Asia to forge bonds with like-minded groups around the globe.