Homeland Security

Taliban, Pakistan Reject Reports of al-Qaida Deputy's Death

By VOA News
02 August 2008

A spokesman for the Taliban in Pakistan is quoted Saturday as denying a U.S. media report that Osama bin Laden's chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been killed or wounded.

The spokesman called Friday's report by CBS News "baseless."

Pakistani officials say they have not seen any evidence to support the claim that al-Qaida's second-in-command was hit in missile strike Monday in South Waziristan, near the Afghan border.

CBS said it based its report on an intercepted letter from a Pakistani Taliban commander that said Zawahiri needed medical treatment after the military strike.

In other news, security officials say six police officers were killed Saturday when a bomb exploded in northwestern Pakistan's Swat valley.

They say the bomb was detonated by remote control as a vehicle passed.

Government security forces are battling pro-Taliban militants in the northwestern region.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.