Maghreb al Qaeda defiant after senior figure dies

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's north African wing heaped praise on one of its senior members killed last week by Algerian security forces and said on Friday his death would not weaken the organization.

Yahya Abu al-Haitham died in a clash with Algerian gendarmes between the towns of Zazqa and Tizi Ouzou, 120 km (75 miles) east of Algiers, according to a statement from the group posted on an Islamist Web site.

Newspapers said Yahya was killed on November 16 while trying to penetrate a military roadblock. The group's confirmation of his death was a departure from its usual practice.

"We are happy to announce a great event: the glorious death of our commander Yahya Abu Haitham, known in Mujahideen circles as Abu Yahya," said the statement, signed by leaders of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

It said Abu Yahya had spent 14 years in the organization and held several responsibilities, most recently as head of its liaison committee.

"O Mujahideen, know that Abu Yahya served as the best example of combat and resistance and you must never give up until you have spilt your last drop of blood. You must carry out his wishes," the statement said.

Maghreb al Qaeda, formerly known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, said it was behind two suicide bombings that killed 57 people in September. One was a failed attempt to assassinate President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Since then the government has stepped up efforts to root out its fighters, many of whom are hiding in dense forests in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers.

Algerian newspapers reported in recent weeks that security forces had weakened the organization by killing or capturing several senior members.

"Do not think that when one of our leaders is killed that this will paralyze our organization," the Islamist statement said, in an apparent response to the reports.

(Reporting by Zakia Abdennebi and Tom Pfeiffer, editing by Andrew Roche)