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Global

U.S. believes key al Qaeda planner killed in Pakistan


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike in Pakistan last week appears to have killed a top al Qaeda planner who Washington believes played a key role in organizing December's deadly suicide bombing at a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday.

    "We have indications that Hussein al-Yemeni -- an important al-Qaeda planner and facilitator based in the tribal areas of Pakistan -- was killed last week," a U.S. counterterrorism official said. "He's thought to have played a key role in the attack on December 30th at Khost."

    (Reporting by Adam Entous; Editing by Jackie Frank)