Washington: Al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi, who has been killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan, was one of the last-remaining pillars at the core of the terror group, according to a report.
Al-Libi, the al Qaeda number two, was often the public face of terror, appearing in dozens of videos urging new strikes against the US and its allies.
According to CBS News, the charismatic terrorist was, however, more than a propagandist.
Al-Libi sat on al Qaeda's governing council, and as the top deputy to new al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri, al-Libi, oversaw external operations.
US officials claimed that al-Libi was at the centre of planning new attacks and coordinating al Qaeda’s outreach to top affiliates like the al Qaeda in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the US confirmed that Al-Libi was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan, saying Washington had a ‘very high degree of confidence’ that al Qaeda’s second-in-command was dead.
They also argued that his demise would severely hamper the capacity of core al Qaeda leaders to liaise with affiliated groups, and called his death a ‘major blow’ to the terrorist organisation.
ANI
First Published: Wednesday, June 06, 2012, 11:17