Abu Hamza Rabia ( ; c. 1960 – November 30, 2005) was an Egyptian member of

al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...

, described in news accounts as a high-ranking leader within the organization's hierarchy. His death in a surprise CIA drone attack was widely reported by media outlets around the world. According to American intelligence officials, Rabia was al-Qaeda's third in command. Few details have been made available about his background, although CNN reports confirmed his Egyptian origins and indicated that he was in his thirties. He and four other men, two of them also Arabs, were killed in the village of Asoray, near

Miranshah Mīrānshāh (Pashto and ur, ) or Mīrāmshāh () is a small town that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surr ...

, the capital of

North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanis ...

. His death stirred controversy because it was Pakistani policy that US forces were not allowed in the country. Initially US and Pakistani authorities denied that the surprise airstrike was launched from a US Predator drone. In a subsequent development, the murder of local journalist Hayatullah Khan, whose body was found months after his disappearance, was tied to his investigation into Rabia's death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabia, Abu Hamza 1960s births 2005 deaths Assassinated al-Qaeda leaders Egyptian al-Qaeda members Year of birth missing Deaths by United States drone strikes in Pakistan Place of birth missing Egyptian expatriates in Pakistan