Russians kill rebels with ties to Bin Laden

Russian troops today claimed to have killed a Chechen rebel chief who is believed to be have ties with Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man.

The troops clashed with a group of rebels in a village south of the Chechen capital, Grozny, killing three of them and wounding one, said the federal military command.

One of those killed was Abu Yakub, chief of intelligence for Khattab, a prominent rebel warlord who is Jordanian by birth and uses only one name, the military said.

According to ITAR-Tass news agency, Abu Yakub’s job was to distribute money to rebel groups.

Russian officials have described Khattab, who remains at large, as a close associate of bin Laden.

President Vladimir Putin has urged the rebels to sever ties with bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the terror attacks on the United States.