London: Osama bin Laden is alive and in good health after being wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel in December, an Arab journalist who is said to have close links to the al-Qaida leader said on July 15.

Quoting a "source close to al-Qaida", Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London- based 'al-Quds al-Arabi' newspaper, told Sky News that the suspected mastermind of the September 11 strikes on the United States had been operated on and was now "in perfect health".

Asked where bin Laden was now, Atwan replied, "Nobody can say, but I think he may be moving in the tribal area, between Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Bin Laden had shrapnel removed from his shoulder after being hit during an American- led offensive on an al-Qaida base in Afghanistan, Atwan said, adding, "He has a medical team around him."

Sources close to al-Qaida also say that bin Laden would appear on a video again, but not until the organisation launched another attack on America, according to Atwan.

"He doesn't want to take part in a video tape unless something happens, unless there is an attack, because he will be accused of rhetoric."

"I know the man and the whole group of al-Qaida are seeking publicity right now and the best place to hit in order to gain this is the US itself," Atwan said.