Al-Qaeda’s Yazid dead

US: The death of Mustafa Abu al-Yazid would be “a big victory... a major blow to Al-Qaeda,” because as the group’s number-three figure “he had a hand in everything,” a US official said Monday.

Al-Qaeda announced the death of its top leader in Afghanistan and trusted aid to Osama bin Laden, as reported by the US-based SITE group, which monitors Islamist websites.

“We have strong reason to believe that’s true, and that (Yazid) was killed recently in Pakistan’s tribal areas,” said the US official, who asked to remain anonymous. “In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory.” The SITE statement did not say how Yazid died, but Al-Qaeda sent a message to jihadist forums saying his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter, and other men, women, and children, were killed.

Yazid, an Egyptian national also known as Sheikh Said, was said to be a founder member of Al-Qaeda and a former treasurer to bin Laden.

The US official said Yazid was “widely viewed” as Al-Qaeda’s number three leader.

Washington, Tuesday, AFP