Abu Laith al-Libi

CAIRO, Egypt (AP):

One of al-Qaida's top commanders in Afghanistan, and a key liaison with the Taliban, Abu Laith al-Libi, was killed according to a website used by militant groups.

"We congratulate the Islamic nation for the martyrdom of the sheikh, the lion, Abu Laith al-Libi,'' said the banner which appeared in a section of the website reserved for affiliated militant groups and is not open to public posting.

The Washington-based SITE Institute, which monitors militant sites, noted that it seems "the announcement of his death has been confirmed to the forum administrators".

The attack that killed al-Libi appeared to have taken place in Pakistan.

Facility destroyed

Pakistani intelligence officials and local residents said that a missile hit a compound in a village 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 that foreigners were targeted in the attack.

One intelligence official in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bodies of those killed were badly mangled by the force of the explosion, and it was difficult to identify those killed. The official estimated 12 people were killed, including Arabs, Turkmen from central Asia and local Taliban members.

Two top officials of Pakistan's Interior Ministry said they could not confirm al-Libi's death and were still trying to gather details on the missile strike. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the attack.

A knowledgeable Western official said that "it appears at this point that al-Libi has met his demise,'' but declined to talk about the circumstances. "It was a major success in taking one of the top terrorists in the world off the street,'' the official said. He added that the death occurred "within the last few days".