Unmanned U.S. planes raids, which have killed 15 suspected insurgents Monday morning in the tribal region of northwest Pakistan, was aimed at Abu Yahya al-Libi, number two in Al-Qaeda hierarchy, according to New York Times.
“People are very curious to know if he is alive,” said a U.S. official, quoted by New York Times. “It will take time to know for sure if he died. But if number two in Al-Qaeda hierarchy was killed, it would be a very hard blow to the terrorist orga ization,” added the same source.
Although officials quoted said that the target of the attack was Abu Yahya al-Libi, they could not confirm his death. He was declared dead – wrongly – in another attack by unmanned aircraft in December 2009.
According to sources within the Pakistani security services, quoted by New York Times, “he would appear to be dead”. “It would be a serious blow to Al-Qaeda the elimination of number two in the hierarchy, the second hit in less than a year,” said a U.S. official on condition of anonymity.
The former number two of Al-Qaeda, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, was killed in Pakistan in Waziristan tribal area on 22 August.
Abu Yahya al-Libi, a Libyan considered one of the leading strategists of Al-Qaeda, has emerged in recent years in several video posts of the terrorist network. In March, he urged the Libyan rebels to continue their offensive against the Gadhafi regime.
The 15 suspected terrorists were killed Monday morning by an unmanned U.S. aircraft attack in the tribal region of northwest Pakistan, amid increasing attacks after last month’s NATO conference in Chicago.
Two rockets were launched on a rebel base in Mir Ali area, located 25 kilometers east of Miranshah, capital of North Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to officials of the security services.
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