Israeli agents in Iran kill al-Qaida's top lieutenant – report
Al-Qaida’s second-in-command was killed in Iran in August by Israeli operatives acting at the behest of the United States, the New York Times has reported, citing intelligence officials.
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in Tehran, the NYT reported. He was accused of helping to mastermind the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa.
Masri was seen as a likely successor to Ayman al-Zawahri, believed to be al-Qaida’s current leader.
It was unclear what, if any, role the United States had in the killing of the Egyptian-born militant on 7 August, the anniversary of the embassy attacks, the NYT said, adding that US authorities had been tracking Masri and other al-Qaida operatives in Iran for years.
A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, declined to confirm any of the details in the NYT story or say whether there was any US involvement. The White House national security council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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