One of Osama Bin Laden's sons is believed to have been killed by a US missile strike in Pakistan earlier this year, a US intelligence official says.
National Public Radio, AFP and Reuters said they had been told there were indications Saad Bin Laden was dead, although it had not been confirmed.
They were told Saad Bin Laden was not a major figure in his father's al-Qaeda but was known because of his surname.
The son was not targeted but was caught in the strike, the official told NPR.
House arrest
Intelligence agents were "80 to 85%" sure Saad Bin Laden had been killed, the official told NPR.
Saad Bin Laden is Osama Bin Laden's third son and in his late 20s.
"We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," the official said.
US intelligence agencies believe Saad Bin Laden fled to Pakistan after spending several years under house arrest in Iran.
He was probably killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a US Predator drone, the official said.
He gave no date for the strike, saying only it was "sometime this year".
It is not known if he was in the same location as his father, who is believed to be hiding in the rugged mountainous tribal area that runs along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The US has stepped up its drone attacks on targets linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the area.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8164763.stm
National Public Radio, AFP and Reuters said they had been told there were indications Saad Bin Laden was dead, although it had not been confirmed.
They were told Saad Bin Laden was not a major figure in his father's al-Qaeda but was known because of his surname.
The son was not targeted but was caught in the strike, the official told NPR.
House arrest
Intelligence agents were "80 to 85%" sure Saad Bin Laden had been killed, the official told NPR.
Saad Bin Laden is Osama Bin Laden's third son and in his late 20s.
"We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," the official said.
US intelligence agencies believe Saad Bin Laden fled to Pakistan after spending several years under house arrest in Iran.
He was probably killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a US Predator drone, the official said.
He gave no date for the strike, saying only it was "sometime this year".
It is not known if he was in the same location as his father, who is believed to be hiding in the rugged mountainous tribal area that runs along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The US has stepped up its drone attacks on targets linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the area.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8164763.stm
