Al-Qaeda's intelligence chief, named Abdullah, was killed in the latest operation conducted by Pakistani army in the country's tribal area, said a military spokesman.  

Briefing a joint press conference with a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Islamabad on Monday, Pakistani military spokesman Shaukat Sultan said, "Abdullah, who was the chief of al-Qaeda intelligence, was killed in this operation."

The spokesman did not say the nationality or full name of this al-Qaeda leader and refuse to give more detail.

Uzbek militant leader Tahir Yuldashev, who was another top al-Qaeda leader, was wounded and is still hiding in the region, Sultan said.

"This was confirmed through intelligence sources, not only ours but independent intelligence sources," Sultan said.

"It has also been confirmed by the intelligence sources that Mr. Abdullah was killed in this operation," said the military spokesman.

More than 60 militants were killed and 163 arrested in a 12-daymilitary operation by some 7000 Pakistani troops against several hundreds al-Qaeda fighters and their tribal supporters in South Waziristan tribal area, bordering Afghanistan.

The operation was the largest one by Pakistani forces in the country's semi-autonomous tribal belt after the Afghan War in 2001.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2004)