CAIRO, (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri confirmed in a video recording the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi, a veteran militant said to have been a leader of the group’s operations, and who had survived previous U.S. attacks.

The U.S. government said in June that a drone strike in Pakistan had killed Libi, dealing the biggest in a series of blows to the militant group since the raid that killed Osama bin Laden last year.

“I proudly announce to the Muslim umma and to the mujdahideen (holy fighters) the news of the martyrdom of Libya’s lion Sheikh Hassan Mohammed Qaed,” Zawahiri said in the video.