You know the old saying; If at first you don't succeed...

August 13, 2008

A leading al-Qaida military commander, reputed to be number three in the terror group, has been killed following several days of fierce fighting in Pakistan's North West Frontier province.

Abu Saeed al-Masri, identified in local media reports as Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, al-Qaida's commander in Afghanistan, died during a battle in the Bajaur tribal area. Yazid claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Danish embassy in Islamabad earlier this year. He has also been linked to the assassination in December last year, of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto

May 31, 2010

The operational leader for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan was killed in an American missile strike in Pakistan's tribal areas in the last two weeks, according to a statement the group issued late Monday that American officials believe is correct.

The militant leader, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an Egyptian, was a top financial chief for Al Qaeda as well as one of the group's founders, and was considered by American intelligence officials to be the organization's No. 3 leader, behind Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, another Egyptian.

"His death will only be a severe curse by his life upon the infidels," Al Qaeda said in a statement issued to jihadist Web sites and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors statements by jihadists.