AKIPRESS.COM - The physical resemblance to his father is evident and chilling. Hamza bin Laden -- the favored son of Osama bin Laden -- has kept his image hidden from the public since he was a young child, despite taking on an increasingly vocal role in al Qaeda propaganda in recent years.

But video released by the Central Intelligence Agency shows, for the first time, images of Hamza bin Laden as a young adult -- the most recent depiction to date of the man a resurgent al Qaeda could be grooming for a leadership role, one senior counterterrorism official told CNN.

CIA released a massive collection of materials seized during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in 2011. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is analyzing the videos and more than 500,000 other files released by the CIA.

Wearing a white robe with gold trim, Hamza is seen at times smiling sheepishly as children hover in and out of the frame. Officials said the images are from his wedding, which is believed to have taken place before 2009 in Iran.

Hamza bin Laden was introduced to militant audiences as a child -- often featured in al Qaeda propaganda videos holding his father's automatic rifle, reading a poem or engaging in militant training with other young boys. He is now believed to be in his mid- to late 20s.