US claims it has killed Al Qaeda's No. 3 leader

Washington, June 1 (ANI): American intelligence agencies believe that they have killed Sheikh Sa'id al-Masri, alias Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, al Qaeda's No. 3 leader, in a recent missile strike in a tribal area of Pakistan.

The New York Times quoted an Obama administration official as saying that al-Masri was the terror network's main conduit to leader Osama bin Laden.

He further said that as al Qaeda's chief operating officer, he had a hand in everything from finances to operational planning.

"We have strong reason to believe ... that al-Masri was killed recently in Pakistan's tribal areas. In terms of counter-terrorism, this would be a big victory," the official said on condition of anonymity.

In March, U.S. officials said a drone strike in Pakistan had killed a key al Qaeda planner. (ANI)