Al-Qaeda websites claim terror kingpin Libi is alive

Since 9/11, the United States, along with its allies, has been striving hard to flush out militants based in different parts of the world. Majority of militants linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban are based in Pakistan and Afghanistan, so the US, along with NATO troops, has been putting its best to break their backbone in the two neighboring countries. Around 130,000 troops are currently engaged with terrorists in Afghanistan, while there are no troops of the US or NATO in Pakistan to fight against terrorists.

The United States started suspecting Pakistan's links with terrorists in 2004, when the intelligence agency of Pakistan was found collaborating with terrorists and militants based in Pakistan's autonomous region – the tribal area bordering Afghanistan. The US then changed its policy on Pakistan and decided to take on terrorists based in the tribal region of the country by drone strikes. Dozens of high-profile terrorists linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban have been killed so far in the drone attacks and the US is continuing the policy of the attacks despite protests from Pakistan.

Last week, the US claimed that al-Qaeda’s deputy leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. The area is also believed to be a safe house for notorious terrorists besides home of the terror network, the Haqqani network. Libi is the same terror kingpin who broke out a prison in Afghanistan back in 2005 and settled in the tribal region of Pakistan. He was believed to be a brain behind the propaganda campaign of al-Qaeda against the United States.

On Sunday, two websites linked to al-Qaeda, Ansar and Alfidaa, claimed that Libi was alive and soon a video message of the leader was also released. The US has so far not commented on the reports.