CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Abu Laith al-Libi, a top al-Qaida commander in Afghanistan who was blamed for bombing a base while Vice President Cheney was visiting last year, has been killed, according to a militant Web site.
Al-Libi was a key link between the Taliban and al-Qaida and was one of the Americans’ 12 most-wanted men with a bounty of $200,000 on his head.
The Web site, which frequently carries announcements from militant groups, said al-Libi had been ‘’martyred’’ but did not say where he was killed.
’’We congratulate the Islamic nation for the martyrdom of the sheik, the lion, Abu Laith al-Libi,’’ said a banner which appeared in a section of the Web site reserved for affiliated militant groups and not open to public posting.
Earlier, there had been reports of an attack on militants in a Pakistani village. Pakistani intelligence officials and local residents said a missile hit a compound about 2.5 miles outside Mir Ali in North Waziristan late Monday or early Tuesday, destroying the facility.
Residents said they were not allowed to approach the site of the blast and the Pakistan government and military said they did not know who fired the missile. Local officials said foreigners were targeted in the attack.