Pakistani security forces, with help from US intelligence, have arrested al Qaeda's third most senior leader after Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahri, western intelligence sources said yesterday.

Pakistan says Abu Faraj Farj al Liby, whom it has said is a Libyan, was the ringleader behind at least two assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.

And although he does not figure on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's "most wanted" list, Liby is believed to have taken over the role of the arrested Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who allegedly masterminded the September 11, 2001 attacks on US cities.

"Al Liby is a top general for (Osama) bin Laden. He was a major facilitator and a chief planner for the al Qaeda network. His arrest removes a dangerous enemy who was a direct threat to America and to those who love freedom," US President George W. Bush said yesterday, before going on to praise Pakistan.

A US counter-terrorism official in Washington was even more specific: "He is the third most important after bin Laden and Zawahri. It's a significant blow to the group."

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