November 17, 2001	Saturday	Ramazan 1, 1422

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WASHINGTON, Nov 16: Mohammed Atef, a top lieutenant to Osama bin Laden, is believed to have been killed in a US airstrike near Kabul, a US official said on Friday.

“We believe that did occur,” the official said.

Citing reports of action on Thursday, the official said an airstrike near Kabul likely killed Atef, accused of having trained those responsible for the Sept 11 attacks. The official said Atef was one of Osama’s closest confidantes, along with Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri. “This guy was considered a deputy and a military specialist for Osama,” said the official.—AFP