Nicosia: A leading Al-Qaeda operative in Afghanistan, Abu Laith al-Libi, has been killed, an Islamist website monitored by the US-based service SITE said today.
 
Al-Ekhlaas, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated forum, announced the death of Libi, who has appeared in the past in Al-Qaeda videos, it said, referring to media reports that he had been killed in a US air strike.

"As the banner was posted on Ekhlaas by a webmaster of the forum, it seems as if the announcement of his death has been confirmed to the forum administrators." In Afghanistan, NATO-led forces said they had no information on whether Libi was killed.

But security officials in Pakistan said earlier today that a clutch of Al-Qaeda militants, including seven Arabs and six Central Asians, were killed this week when a suspected US missile hit their hideout in Pakistan.

The missile hit a house in the troubled tribal district of North Waziristan late Monday. Residents had reported that a pilotless drone aircraft of the type operated by US-led coalition forces based in Afghanistan was seen flying over the area shortly before the strike, near the town of Mir Ali.

Source : PTI