Pakistan al-Qaeda chief 'killed'

Al-Kini was involved in the Islamabad Marriott attack, officials say

Al-Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and another top aide are believed to have been killed, US sources say.

Usama al-Kini and his lieutenant, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, were both killed in recent days, US counter-terrorism officials said.

Usama al-Kini is believed to be behind last year's deadly bomb attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad.

Fifty-five people were killed when a truck packed with explosives rammed the hotel in September 2008.

Both al-Qaeda suspects died in South Waziristan, on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, an unidentified US counter-terrorism official told Reuters news agency.

"These deaths are a significant near-term degradation of al-Qaeda's leadership," he added.