RT @Reuters: U.S. OFFICIAL CONFIRMS DEATH IN PAKISTAN DRONE STRIKE OF TOP AL QAEDA OPERATIVE ABU YAHYA AL-LIBI
— Stefan Becket (@becket) June 5, 2012
Al-Libi is a big get.
— Stefan Becket (@becket) June 5, 2012
Earlier news reports indicated that he was the target of the drone strike, but confirmation of his death was not given at the time. More from Yahoo!/AFP:
A senior Al-Qaeda figure was the target of a US drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal belt, officials said Tuesday, keeping tight-lipped on whether he may have been among the 15 people killed.
Abu Yahya al-Libi, described by American officials as al-Qaeda’s second in command but by other security experts as one of the top five members of the global terror network, is a Libyan citizen with a $1 million price on his head.
Twitchy will monitor this news and update accordingly.
Update: More confirmation comes in.
Here's more on al-Libi's escape from Bagram in '05: http://t.co/KsEazbfC He & four others picked their locks, changed clothes, strolled out
— Stefan Becket (@becket) June 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) _ US official: CIA drone strike in Pakistan kills no. 2 al-Qaida leader.
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) June 5, 2012
On al-Libi death, US official tells @CBSNews: "There is no one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise AQ has just lost.”
— Sarah Boxer (@Sarah_Boxer) June 5, 2012