Al-Qaeda's operations chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sheikh Fateh al-Misri, was reportedly killed in a drone attack in North Waziristan this past weekend.
The Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative was apparently travelling in a car along with three others in the Miranshah area when their vehicle was struck by missiles from a Predator drone.
There was no official confirmation about Misri's elimination but if true, this is the second time this year that a drone attack has killed the number three in the Al-Qaeda hierarchy.
Misri succeeded Mustafa Abu al-Yazid who, too, was killed in like fashion in May.
Security analysts in Pakistan, however, do not view Misri's death as a big blow to the Al-Qaeda as the global terror network has a structure in place to keep things going.