WASHINGTON, D.C. — Abu Yahya al-Libi, a Libyan-born top Al-Qaeda leader, was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan earlier this week, a US official said on Tuesday.
US officials said that Libi had recently been considered by US counter-terrorism experts as the No. 2 in the core Al-Qaeda group led by Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Zawahiri has headed the group since Al-Qaeda's founder, Osama bin Laden, was killed last year in a US commando raid on his hideout in Pakistan.
A US official said that Libi "was among Al-Qaeda's most experienced and versatile leaders" and that he "played a critical role in the group's planning against the West, providing oversight of the external operations efforts."
