Drone attack: ‘US strike kills al Qaeda commander’

Abu Zaid was killed in the drone strike on a hideout in North Waziristan tribal agency, sources said.

PESHAWAR: A US drone attack has killed a senior al Qaeda commander in the latest blow to the militant group that has been targeted in many similar attacks, according to tribal sources.

Abu Zaid was killed in the drone strike on a hideout in North Waziristan tribal agency early on Thursday, sources said.  Zaid had just moved to the hideout a few days ago, they said. Security officials based in North Waziristan said they were aware of the death of a senior al Qaeda commander but could not confirm his identity or rank.

Zaid replaced Abu Yahya al Libi as one of al Qaeda’s most powerful figures in June after the later was killed by a US drone strike. Ten others were also killed in that attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2012.