WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top lieutenant are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday.

The operations chief, Usama al-Kini, was thought to be responsible for the truck bombing of a Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed 55 people in September, as well as other attacks, the official said. (Reporting by Randall Mikkelsen; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

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