Al-Qaida dealt 'major blow' as deputy leader killed in Pakistan

Atiyah Abd al-Rahman rose to his position after Osama Bin Laden was killed in raid on compound in May
Atiyah abd al Rahman
A US official has said the death of Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, who has been killed in Pakistan, will be a 'tremendous loss' for al-Qaida. Photograph: AP Public Domain

Al-Qaida's second-in-command has been killed in Pakistan, delivering a "major blow" to the terrorist group still reeling from the death of Osama bin Laden, American officials said on Saturday.

Libyan national Atiyah Abd al-Rahman rose to his position when Ayman al-Zawahiri took command after Bin Laden was killed in a raid on his Pakistani compound in May.

Officials did not reveal how al-Rahman was killed but said it happened on 22 August in Waziristan, north-west Pakistan, where members of al-Qaida are thought to be hiding out. A CIA drone strike was reported that day.

"Atiyah's death is a tremendous loss for al-Qaida, because [Zawahiri] was relying heavily on him to help guide and run the organisation, especially since Bin Laden's death," one American official said.

"The trove of materials from Bin Laden's compound showed clearly that Atiyah was deeply involved in directing al-Qaida's operations even before the raid. He had multiple responsibilities in the organisation and will be very difficult to replace."

Since bin Laden's death, counterterrorism officials have hoped to capitalise on al-Qaida's unsettled leadership. The more uncertain the structure, the harder it is for them to operate covertly and plan attacks.

Another official added: "There's no question this is a major blow to al-Qaida. Atiyah was at the top of al-Qaida's trusted core."

US defence secretary Leon Panetta said on a visit to Afghanistan last month that he believed the strategic defeat of al-Qaida was within reach if the United States could kill or capture up to 20 remaining leaders of the core group and its affiliates. "Now is the moment, following what happened with bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them," he said.

Al-Rahman joined Bin Laden as a teenager in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union. He once served as Bin Laden's personal emissary to Iran. Al-Rahman was allowed to move freely in and out of Iran as part of that arrangement and has been operating out of Waziristan for some time, officials have said.