3 top al-Qaeda commanders killed in US drone attacks

Al-Qaeda suffered severe reverses losing three key commanders in Afghanistan and tribal havens in Northwestern Pakistan as US and NATO forces carried out a record number of air strikes and drone attacks.

Those felled by missile strikes included al-Qaeda's new number 3. Sheikh Fateh al-Misri, who had replaced Mustafa Abu al-Yazid who was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in May.

Al-Misri was believed to be in a vehicle in Pakistan's north Waziristan tribal region when a US drone fired Hellfire missile struck him. The al-Qaeda commander was on his way to Afghanistan.

Sources said that Pakistan intelligence and military authorities were investigating reports of his death.

Two other commanders Abdallah Umar al-Qurayshi, who coordinated Osama bin Laden's Arab fighters in Afghanistan, and explosives expert Abu Atta al Kuwaiti were targeted by precision bombing by NATO jets and helicopter gunships in Kunar province in Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan.

The US is believed to have launched 21 missiles into tribal areas of northwestern Pakistan in last 24 days and American officials believe that a large number of al-Qaeda and foreign fighters are among the over 100 casualties.

The high militant toll was reported as British and American officials said they had foiled a major Pakistan-based terrorist plot to launch another Mumbai-style attack in London and other major European cities.

The US and NATO officials said the plot had been foiled as Taliban, al-Qaeda and Haqqani network had taken a beating in the stepped up drone campaign.

Giving details of the attacks, the International Security Assistance Force said it was working to confirm the exact identities of other high-level insurgent commanders, who were meeting when the strike was conducted.

"The death of Abdallah Umar al-Qurayshi is a significant victory for the people of Afghanistan," said US Army Col Rafael Torres, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Centre director.

"We deliberately targeted a major threat to Afghanistan, which will significantly degrade the al-Qaeda activities throughout the region. We will relentlessly target the remaining foreign fighters, al-Qaeda, and senior Taliban leadership still operating in Afghanistan and those who harbour them," he said.