Three al-Qaida members including a top operative believed to have been tasked by Osama bin Laden with targeting American economic interests around the world have been held in Pakistan.

THE killing of al-Qaida’s number two leader deprives the group of a multi-talented manager who helped it spawn offshoots around the world and survive a US counter-terrorism campaign in Pakistan, analysts say.

Al-Qaida’s second-in-command, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, has been killed in Pakistan, US and Pakistani officials said today.

Al-Qaida’s second in command, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, has been killed in Pakistan, a senior Obama administration official said today.