A Pakistani cabinet minister has confirmed that a senior al-Qaida explosives expert was killed during a raid on a suspected insurgent hideout in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
The minister said on condition of anonymity, that Egyptian-born Muhsin Musa Matwali Atwah was among the seven Islamic militants killed in the attack late Wednesday in the restive North Waziristan region.
A government spokesman said earlier foreign militants were among the dead.
Atwah was wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Washington has offered a $5 million reward for his capture.
The attack was the latest in a series of raids by Pakistani troops in the rugged border areas where foreign militants, including al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, are believed to be hiding.
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to wipe out militant bases in the area and warned al-Qaida remnants and Taleban fighters hiding in the region to leave or face death.
Over the past few months, more than 250 suspected militants have been killed in the region.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.