Al Qaeda Most Wanted Captured In Libya During US Raids
One of the most wanted Al Qaeda terrorists was captured in Tripoli, Libya on Saturday according to reports from officials.
Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, known as Anas al-Libi is suspected in the 1998 African embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
A three car convoy of US special forces grabbed Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai outside his home in Tripoli while he was parking his car. He was surrounded and the windows in his car were smashed during the scuffle, according to al-Ruqai’s brother Nabih.
This capture, is the latest in a string of successful arrests or killings of top Al Qaeda leaders which US officials believe have weakened the terrorist organization.
The terrorist was returning home after dawn prayers when he was surrounded by the US forces, Nabih said. His gun was taken from him and he was thrown in one of the vehicles as the group sped away.
US Commandos conducted twin raids in Tripoli and Somalia on Saturday which resulted in the Al Qaeda capture. According NBC News, sources also said another “high value” target was captured in Somalia, but there was no official confirmation.
Al Libi has been the focus of US operations for almost a decade and had a $5 million bounty on his head.
Confirmation of the Al Qaeda capture came late on Saturday from Pentagon spokesperson George Little:
“As the result of a U.S. counter terrorism operation, Abu Anas al Libi is currently lawfully detained by the U.S. military in a secure location outside of Libya.”
Nabih told the AP that al Libi’s wife watched his capture from a window and described the men taking her husband as foreign looking “commandos”.
Al Libi was a close confidant of Osama Bin Laden and has belonged to the terrorist organization since 1994. The captured Al Qaeda leader is also believed to be a computer expert.
