Al-Qaeda figure killed in Pakistan

PAKISTAN: An Arab Al-Qaeda militant was killed in a gunbattle with Pakistani soldiers in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, security sources said on Friday.

The insurgent was named as Abu Marwan al-Suri, a possible Saudi national, the security officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the man was killed near Khar, the main town in the Bajaur tribal district, where a US missile strike targeted and missed Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri in January.

Security forces stopped Al-Suri at a checkpoint in the rugged and largely lawless area because he was not a local person.

"They called him down for a body search and questioning. He came out of the vehicle then all of a sudden starting firing at the paramilitary forces. They returned fire," one official said.

One source said Al-Suri may have killed himself to avoid capture.

PESHAWAR, Friday AFP