The Al-Qaeda network’s information officer, who was extradited to Egypt from Pakistan and jailed has had his detention extended by a period of 30 days, court sources said Saturday.
Mohammed Nagah Maqsud, also known as Abu Mossaab, fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan following the September 11 attacks and was arrested there. He was extradited to Egypt through the United Nations in March 2002, and has since been in prison, according to AFP.
The Egyptian national was on a list of 150 wanted "terrorists" published by authorities in Cairo in early 2001, the sources said.
According to local media reports, Maqsud had almost daily contacts with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri and is thus an important source of information.
He kept them updated with the news published about al-Qaeda in the Western press, providing translations of articles and summaries of radio broadcasts, Al-Ahram newspaper reported.
He also had contacts with key financiers of terror operations, it added.
In addition, Maqsud underwent military training in Pakistan, and lost an eye and a foot in a mine explosion during a military operation, Al-Ahram added.
In 1988, he moved to London for medical treatment and later returned to Pakistan where he started working as al-Qaeda's information officer. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
