US pledges to continue hunting for al Qaeda leaders

The Untied States said on Tuesday that it would continue pursuing al Qaeda leaders after it failed last week to kill Ayman Zawahiri, the cell's deputy leader, in an air strike at Pakistanis border.

"Al Qaeda continues to seek to do harm to the American people," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a news briefing, vowing to bring leaders of the terrorist group to justice.

"The American people expect us to do so and that's what this president is committed to doing," McClellan said.

Also on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters that the United States will continue its cooperation with Pakistan over an international anti-terrorism effort.

"We will continue to work with President Musharraf and the Pakistani government in fighting the global war on terror," McCormack said.

The U.S. spokesmen made the remarks after a fatal U.S. air strike at the Pakistani village of Damadola in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

It was reported that Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, was invited to a dinner given by the villagers to mark an Islamic holiday but did not show up and sent some aides instead.

At least four foreign terrorists were reportedly killed in the air attack, along with 18 local people.

Source: Xinhua