The title was more of a nod to old times sake since the Pentagon has stopped declaring every single person they kill to be Al Qaeda's #2.
The interesting note, which the article hints at, is that this guy was killed in Pakistan. Near Afghanistan but still in Pakistan.
Top al-Qaeda leader reported dead
Abu Laith al-Libi (Photo: US DIA)
Libi has appeared in a number of al Qaeda videos (Photo: US DIA)
A senior al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, Abu Laith al-Libi, has been killed, senior Western counter-terrorism officials say.
News of Libi's death first emerged on a website used by Islamist groups.
The website, ekhlaas.org, said Libi had "fallen as a martyr", the Reuters news agency reports.
US intelligence agencies have been investigating reports that a top al-Qaeda figure was killed in the Afghan-Pakistan border area this week.
A missile attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan area reportedly killed 12 or 13 militants.
While Western counter-terrorism officials told the BBC they believed Libi to be dead, they would not discuss how he was killed.
Libi has appeared in a number of al-Qaeda videos. He is reported to be one of al-Qaeda's most senior field commanders in Afghanistan.
Reports say he was also active across the border in the Waziristan region of Pakistan.
'Drone spotted'
Local officials in Pakistan said on Tuesday that 12 militants had been killed in a missile strike from "an unknown direction".
Residents reported having seen a drone aircraft in the region before the attack.
On Thursday, Pakistani intelligence officials said 13 people had died - seven Arabs and six Central Asians.
One told Reuters: "The missile appeared to have been fired by a drone."
Correspondents say the US has launched a number of strikes at suspected militants in Pakistan - some of them missiles fired by drones.
Pakistan has repeatedly insisted that it will not accept foreign military action on its territory.
The interesting note, which the article hints at, is that this guy was killed in Pakistan. Near Afghanistan but still in Pakistan.
Top al-Qaeda leader reported dead
Abu Laith al-Libi (Photo: US DIA)
Libi has appeared in a number of al Qaeda videos (Photo: US DIA)
A senior al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, Abu Laith al-Libi, has been killed, senior Western counter-terrorism officials say.
News of Libi's death first emerged on a website used by Islamist groups.
The website, ekhlaas.org, said Libi had "fallen as a martyr", the Reuters news agency reports.
US intelligence agencies have been investigating reports that a top al-Qaeda figure was killed in the Afghan-Pakistan border area this week.
A missile attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan area reportedly killed 12 or 13 militants.
While Western counter-terrorism officials told the BBC they believed Libi to be dead, they would not discuss how he was killed.
Libi has appeared in a number of al-Qaeda videos. He is reported to be one of al-Qaeda's most senior field commanders in Afghanistan.
Reports say he was also active across the border in the Waziristan region of Pakistan.
'Drone spotted'
Local officials in Pakistan said on Tuesday that 12 militants had been killed in a missile strike from "an unknown direction".
Residents reported having seen a drone aircraft in the region before the attack.
On Thursday, Pakistani intelligence officials said 13 people had died - seven Arabs and six Central Asians.
One told Reuters: "The missile appeared to have been fired by a drone."
Correspondents say the US has launched a number of strikes at suspected militants in Pakistan - some of them missiles fired by drones.
Pakistan has repeatedly insisted that it will not accept foreign military action on its territory.
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