US ‘have killed al-Qaeda’s number two’
The right-hand man of Osama bin Laden’s successor was killed in a raid in northwest Pakistan in a “tremendous loss” to the terrorist group, American sources said.
US officials say they killed al-Qaeda‘s second-in-command, Atiyah abd al-Rahman, in Pakistan earlier this week.
The Libyan national rose to the number two spot when Ayman al-Zawahri took the reins of al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed in May in a raid by US commandos in Pakistan.
Officials did not say how Rahman was killed, but said it happened in Waziristan in northwest Pakistan.
An unnamed US official said: “Atiyah’s death is a tremendous loss for al Qaeda, because (Zawahri) was relying heavily on him to help guide and run the organization, especially since bin Laden’s death.
“The trove of materials from bin Laden’s compound showed clearly that Atiyah was deeply involved in directing al Qaeda’s operations even before the raid. He had multiple responsibilities in the organization and will be very difficult to replace.”
Rahman ran daily operations for the terror network, spoke on behalf of bin Laden and Zawahri and was the one that “affiliates knew and trusted”, the official added.
“He planned the details of al Qaeda operations and its propaganda. His combination of background, experience, and abilities are unique in al Qaeda-without question, they will not be easily replaced.”
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said last month on a visit to Afghanistan that he believed the strategic defeat of al-Qaeda was within reach if the United States could kill or capture up to 20 remaining leaders of the core group and its affiliates.