Abu Obaidah al-Masri, the militant chief believed to be a senior planner of al-Qaeda's attacks has died, US intelligence sources say.
They said they believed al-Masri, a major operational figure within al-Qaeda who was linked to attacks in the UK and elsewhere, died of "natural causes".
Al-Masri is tied to two major terrorist plots in the UK – the London bombings in July 2005 and the foiled plot in 2006 to use liquid explosives to bring down British passenger planes.
In 2005 al-Masri recruited, trained and directed four suicide bombers in a coordinated attack on London's transportation system. Three bombs exploded during morning rush-hour within 50 seconds of each other on three London Underground trains. A fourth bomb exploded on a bus nearly an hour later.
The attack left 52 commuters dead, and more than 700 injured. It was the largest and deadliest terror attack on London in its history.
A year later British intelligence foiled a second plot which involved the use of liquid explosives smuggled aboard several airliners traveling from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports to major cities in the U.S. and Canada with the intention of detonating the bombs in midair, destroying at least 10 aircraft.
Eight of the original suspects are currently on trial in London, charged with conspiring to murder and destroy aircraft.
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