Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Abu Yahya al-Libi was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's lawless northwestern tribal region. 

Talking to reporters in Washington yesterday White House Press Secretary Jay Carney termed it as a major blow to the terrorist outfit. Carney said that removing leaders like al-Libi from the top of al-Qaeda is part of the effort of the Obama Administration to defeat and dismantle the terror network.

Washington had put a reward of one million US dollars on Libi's head. He was the main target of the drone strike at a militant compound near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan tribal region. Libi was considered the most-prominent figure in al-Qaeda after Ayman al-Zawahiri. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan summoned the acting US ambassador and lodged a protest over continued US drone strikes.