Al-Qaeda named on Thurday Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief to succeed the slain Osama bin Laden, vowing to keep on its attack against the United States and Israel.

Al-Qaeda named on Thurday Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief to succeed the slain Osama bin Laden, vowing to keep on its attack against the United States and Israel.

"The general command of Al-Qaeda announces, after consultations, the appointment of Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri as head of the group," the network said in statement posted on a website.

The statement added that under Zawahiri's leadership Al-Qaeda would pursue its war against “the apostate invaders ... with their head… America and its servant Israel, and whoever supports them," said the statement.

Zawahiri, the group's long-time number two, succeeds bin Laden who was killed by US commandos in May 2 raid in Pakistan.

Zawahiri, who was born in Egypt, vowed earlier this month to press ahead with al-Qaeda's campaign against the US and its allies, in what appeared to be his first public response to bin Laden's death.