The leader of Al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate, Nasser Al Wuhayshi, has reportedly been killed in a U.S. drone strike.
Al Wuhayshi, who is supposed to have been killed in an attack in Yemen's Hadramawt province last Friday, was the second-in-command and had served as slain leader Osama Bin Laden's private secretary.
He was responsible for approving targets, recruiting jihadists, allocating resources to terrorists and planning attacks. He assumed the role of the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) leader after the Yemeni and Saudi branches of the terror outfit merged in 2009, reports the BBC.
The Site intelligence group claimed that reports circulated amid Yemeni jihadi networks spoke of the Islamist leader's death.
Site's Director Rita Katz said that if the death is confirmed, it could be the biggest assault on Al Qaeda since Bin Laden's death in 2011.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has refused to comment on the matter.
The U.S. Department of State had offered a bounty of USD 10 million for anyone who could help bring Al Wuhayshi to justice.