Islamabad: Top al-Qaida operative Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, captured recently in Pakistan, met Osama bin Laden weeks before his arrest, proving that the elusive leader of the terror network was alive, officials said.

Following Mohammed's arrest and his interrogation, Pakistani officials claimed that he had provided them with most solid proof that bin Laden was alive.

"There is no doubt he is alive and well. We have evidence to show that he is alive," the officials were quoted as saying by a media report.

The officials said they came to the conclusion that bin Laden was alive after indications that Mohammed met him last month. They, however, did not reveal whether the meeting took place in or outside Pakistan.

Media reports earlier said that bin Laden was believed to be hiding in tribal areas located between Pak-Afghan border.

However, Pakistani officials said they believed that bin Laden has certainly moved to a new hideout after Mohammed's arrest.

"We believe that he has changed his hideout and moved away. He keeps shifting. He surely knows that Khalid Mohammed has been captured and will avoid moving to places he knew about," they said.

It was Mohammed's arrest that led to the information that some of bin Laden's wives and children lived in Iran, the officials said.

Mohammad along with his unidentified Arab associate has been handed over to the US.

PTI