Career
His death, in a surprise 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 Cable News Network 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, the capital of North Waziristan.
His death stirred controversy because it was Pakistani policy that United States forces were not allowed in the country. Initially United States and Pakistani authorities denied that the surprise airstrike was launched from a United States 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.