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Abu Yahya Al-Libi, a top Al Qaeda operative was killed in a U.S.drone strike Monday, Fox News confirms. Al-Libi, known as a rock star in the jihadist world with his videosand lectures going viral on the Web, was the intended target of thestrike, U.S. officials said. The strikes have been increasingly unpopular among Pakistanis, butsuccessful in recent years at taking out terrorist leaders. Pakistan has evidence that Al-Libi was in a house hit by the U.S.drone strike, but it was initially unclear whether he was killed. A U.S. official later confirmed his death. Abu Yahya was among al-Qaeda s most experienced and versatileleaders," the official said. He "played a critical role in thegroup s planning against the West, providing oversight of theexternal operations efforts. U.S. officials originally said they were "optimistic" Al-Libi wasamong the eight militants reportedly killed in the strike in thetribal region of North Waziristan.They spoke on condition ofanonymity because of the classified nature of the drone program. Militants and residents in the area told Pakistani agents thatal-Libi was in the house when it was hit, said intelligenceofficials, also speaking on condition of anonymity because theywere not authorized to talk to the media. A vehicle used by al-Libi was destroyed during the strike, said oneof the officials. Agents intercepted a militant phone callindicating an Arab was killed in the attack, but it was unclear ifthey were talking about al-Libi, who was born in Libya, said theofficial. A local Taliban chief said al-Libi's guard and driver were killedin the strike, but the Al Qaeda commander was not there. Al-Libidid survive a previous strike, said the Taliban chief, speaking oncondition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by the Pakistaniarmy. It was the third strike in three days in Pakistan, with a Talibanleader killed in the first strike. And it was said to be the eighthstrike in the last two weeks. The target zone, Mir Ali, is described by sources as a terroristhaven that is a "crossroads" for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and thelatest strike, according to Pakistani officials, is believed tohave killed foreign fighters -- code for Arab members of Al Qaedaor Western recruits. As for Al-Libi, he made his name in July 2005 when he escaped fromthis high security U.S. prison in Bagram, Afghanistan, along withthree other Al Qaeda members. In keeping with his reputation,Al-Libi made a 54-minute video documenting his capture by thePakistanis, his handover to U.S. authorities and escape from theprison. Al-Libi is known as a preacher and scholar who more recently tookthe second-in-command spot when Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri tookcharge of Al Qaeda after Usama bin Laden's death. As Al Qaeda's defacto general manager, al-Libi oversaw the group's day-to-dayoperations in Pakistan's tribal areas and managed outreach to AlQaeda's regional affiliates. The State Department's Rewards for Justice program had set a $1million reward for information leading to the Libyan-born fugitive. Despite the progress in taking out Al Qaeda leadership, the U.S.drone campaign had been in a holding pattern before the NATO summitin Chicago last month in an effort to mend fences. When Secretaryof State Hillary Clinton was unable to reach a deal with thePakistanis to re-open supply lines for NATO forces, the droneprogram resumed. "This is one of the more prominent names" among the targets ofdrone strikes in Pakistan, which helps bolster the CIA's push tocontinue the drone program despite the continued politicalresistance from Pakistan and collateral damage, added former CIAofficer Paul Pillar. FoxNews.com's Catherine Herridge and The Associated Presscontributed to this report. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Modular Booth Systems , Custom Exhibit Booth, and more. For more , please visit 10x10 Booth Display today!
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