Iran denies report Israel killed al-Qaeda’s number two leader in Tehran

The New York Times reported that Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down in Tehran in August

Iran has denied the report, while al-Qaeda has not announced his death. He was accused of masterminding the 1998 US embassy bombings in Africa

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A US soldier standing guard in front of the American embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the site of the August 7, 1998 bomb blast. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:10pm, 14 Nov 2020Updated: 9:09pm, 14 Nov 2020

Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, accused of helping to mastermind the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa, was killed in Iran in August by Israeli operatives acting at the behest of the United States, The New York Times reported, citing intelligence officials. But Iran on Saturday denied the report.

Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in the streets of Tehran on August 7, the newspaper reported.

The killing of Masri, who was seen as a likely successor to al-Qaeda’s current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was kept secret until now.

It was unclear what, if any, role the United States had in the killing of the Egyptian-born militant, the Times said. US authorities had been tracking Masri and other al-Qaeda operatives in Iran for years.

Al-Qaeda has not announced his death, Iranian officials have covered it up and no government has publicly claimed responsibility, according to the report.

Iran on Saturday said there were no al-Qaeda “terrorists” on its soil.