A top Al-Qaeda leader and four others were killed and scores of others wounded in a blast in northwest Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal agency, according to local TV channel reports Thursday.

Pakistani soldiers fire an anti-tank gun during a battle between Pakistani security forces and Taliban in the South Waziristan region in this image taken from a video grab released by the Pakistani military on Oct. 21, 2009.[Xinhua]

Abu Musa Al-Misri, a top Al-Qaeda commander and four others, including militants of foreign origin, were killed on Wednesday evening when a bomb planted in a vehicle for carrying out a suicide attack went off in Palga, a village near chief town Miranshah of the tribal area, the private TV ARY News reported.

The blast was so powerful that it not only killed the militants preparing the vehicle for the attack but also severely damaged nearby homes, injuring several villagers including children and women.

Pakistani soldiers point their weapons during a battle between Pakistani security forces and Taliban in the South Waziristan region in this image taken from a video grab released by the Pakistani military on Oct. 21, 2009. [Xinhua]

Washington says Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who fled Afghanistan after the 2001 United States-led invasion are holed up in the semi-autonomous Waziristan tribal belt.

Pakistani security forces launched military operation in South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan in early Oct. 17 morning. The army said that about 30,000 soldiers are in place to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban militants in the lawless area.

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