Al-Qaida's No.3 believed to be killed by US strike in Pakistan
Source: Agencies |
June 2, 2010, Wednesday
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AL-QAIDA'S third-in-command, whose role spanned operations to fundraising, is believed to have been killed by a United States missile strike in Pakistan, dealing a blow to the embattled group.
Sheikh Sa'id al-Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, was believed to be killed along with members of his family in a strike by a pilotless CIA-operated drone attack. Al-Qaida confirmed his death in a statement on an Islamist Website on Monday.
"We have strong reason to believe ... that al-Masri was killed recently in Pakistan's tribal areas," a US official in Washington said on condition of anonymity. "In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory."
A Pakistani security official said Yazid was most probably killed in a missile strike in North Waziristan on the night of May 21.
"We had a report at the time that one Arab was killed in that strike with some of his family members and I think it was probably him," said the official, who declined to be named.
The attack targeted a house owned by a tribesman some 25 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, a stronghold of al-Qaida and Taliban militants that borders Afghanistan.
Intelligence officials at the time said six militants were killed but residents said 12 people, including four women and two children, were killed. Six women and two children were wounded and treated at a hospital in Miranshah, residents said.
"He was known as Mustafa in the area. His wife was killed in the strike," a resident of the village where attack took place said on condition of anonymity.
The US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist Websites, said earlier on Monday that al-Qaida announced al-Masri's death in an Internet posting.
In addition to al-Masri, the announcement stated that his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter and other men, women and children were killed, according to SITE.
The CIA has stepped up the pace of unmanned aerial drone attacks, targeting not only high-level al-Qaida and Taliban targets but largely unknown foot soldiers as well.
A US official said al-Masri was widely seen as al-Qaida's No. 3 figure and its main conduit to leader Osama bin Laden.
As al-Qaida's chief operating officer, he had a hand in everything from finances to operational planning, the official said.
Analysts say his death will be a major loss for al-Qaida but there would be no weakening of the group's fighting resolve.
"Definitely it will have an impact because it was their important figure, it's a big loss for them but there appears to be a generational change taking place in al-Qaida where new ones are replacing old ones," said Rahimullah Yusufzai, an editor and militant expert.
"Al-Qaida's capacity to operate and strike has been badly damaged because of their losses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq but we have not yet seen any weakening of their commitment."
Five other al-Qaida leaders considered third-in-command have been killed or captured since 2001.
Sheikh Sa'id al-Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, was believed to be killed along with members of his family in a strike by a pilotless CIA-operated drone attack. Al-Qaida confirmed his death in a statement on an Islamist Website on Monday.
"We have strong reason to believe ... that al-Masri was killed recently in Pakistan's tribal areas," a US official in Washington said on condition of anonymity. "In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory."
A Pakistani security official said Yazid was most probably killed in a missile strike in North Waziristan on the night of May 21.
"We had a report at the time that one Arab was killed in that strike with some of his family members and I think it was probably him," said the official, who declined to be named.
The attack targeted a house owned by a tribesman some 25 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, a stronghold of al-Qaida and Taliban militants that borders Afghanistan.
Intelligence officials at the time said six militants were killed but residents said 12 people, including four women and two children, were killed. Six women and two children were wounded and treated at a hospital in Miranshah, residents said.
"He was known as Mustafa in the area. His wife was killed in the strike," a resident of the village where attack took place said on condition of anonymity.
The US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist Websites, said earlier on Monday that al-Qaida announced al-Masri's death in an Internet posting.
In addition to al-Masri, the announcement stated that his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter and other men, women and children were killed, according to SITE.
The CIA has stepped up the pace of unmanned aerial drone attacks, targeting not only high-level al-Qaida and Taliban targets but largely unknown foot soldiers as well.
A US official said al-Masri was widely seen as al-Qaida's No. 3 figure and its main conduit to leader Osama bin Laden.
As al-Qaida's chief operating officer, he had a hand in everything from finances to operational planning, the official said.
Analysts say his death will be a major loss for al-Qaida but there would be no weakening of the group's fighting resolve.
"Definitely it will have an impact because it was their important figure, it's a big loss for them but there appears to be a generational change taking place in al-Qaida where new ones are replacing old ones," said Rahimullah Yusufzai, an editor and militant expert.
"Al-Qaida's capacity to operate and strike has been badly damaged because of their losses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq but we have not yet seen any weakening of their commitment."
Five other al-Qaida leaders considered third-in-command have been killed or captured since 2001.
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