DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan: Two top Al-Qaeda operatives were among four foreign militants killed in a suspected US missile strike in Pakistan's northwest, intelligence officials said yesterday.
One allegedly was in charge of the terror network's activities in Pakistan's tribal regions, semiautonomous areas that the US fears have become a haven for Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters involved in attacks on American and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Three Pakistani intelligence officials identified four foreign militants killed in the Monday strike as Abu Qasim, Abu Musa, Abu Hamza and Abu Haris. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of their jobs' sensitivity.
Abu Haris led Al-Qaeda efforts in the tribal areas, while Abu Hamza led activities in Peshawar, the main northwest city, according to the intelligence officials, who said they got the details from informants and agents in the field.
Abu Haris' nationality had yet to be confirmed, but Abu Hamza was from Saudi Arabia, the officials said. Abu Hamza was believed to be a bomb-making expert as well. Abu Qasim was Egyptian, while Abu Musa also was Saudi, but both appeared to be lower-ranking Al-Qaeda members.
An army spokesman, Maj. Murad Khan, said yesterday the military had no information about the identity or nationality of the men killed in what he called "explosions" in North Waziristan. "We don't know who died in the explosions there," he said.
The suspected missile strike occurred Monday in the North Waziristan tribal region, destroying a seminary and houses associated with a Taleban commander.
The presence of Al-Qaeda operatives added to evidence of cooperation between homegrown militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the largely Arab terror group. The tribal belt is considered a possible hiding place for Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda No. 2 Ayman Al-Zawahri.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces, backed by artillery, killed 11 militants and wounded seven in an offensive in the northwestern Swat Valley yesterday, the military said. "The operation is still going on," a military spokesman in Swat said, adding that reports by Pakistani media that fighter jets had carried out bombing raids were incorrect.
The army went on the offensive after outbreaks of fighting between security forces and militants in the Koza Bande area of the valley.
