Fazul Abdullah, the presumed head of al Qaeda in east Africa, has been killed in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The terror chief was wanted by America for allegedly planning in the US embassy truck bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998 which killed 224 people.
Kenya's police chief confirmed Abdullah was killed on Wednesday - confirming a report from Somali Islamist Shebab rebels.
"We have received that communication from authorities in Somalia," Kenyan Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said.
"We have been told that there were two terrorists who were killed in Somalia on Wednesday last week."
Officials with the Somali Transitional Government (TFG) said the terrorist pair were killed at a roadblock on the outskirts of Mogadishu after "they refused to stop".
The men were travelling in a pick-up truck carrying medicine, laptops and mobile phones.
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| Abdullah: Wanted by the US over embassy bombings |
Abdullah: Wanted by the US over embassy bombings
A Somali security source said the pair appeared to have taken the wrong turning and ended up in an area under TFG control.
A source close to the investigation said the man identified as Abdullah was carrying a South African passport in the name of Daniel Robinson.
The passport, issued April 13, 2009, indicated that its bearer left South Africa for Tanzania on March 19 and was granted a visa there.
Abdullah was also said to have been in possession of $40,000 (£24,600) in cash.
His body has been given to US officials for identification.
Abdullah, who was born in the Comoros islands, joined al Qaeda in 1991.
From 2002 he was put in charge of al Qaeda's operations in the whole of east Africa.
That same year he planned anti-Israeli attacks in Mombasa that left 15 dead.
In January 2007, he survived a US raid that left dozens of people dead at Ras Kamboni in southern Somalia.
Sky News
Sky News
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