FACTBOX: Five facts about al Qaeda's Abu Laith al-Libi

(Reuters) - Abu Laith al-Libi, an al Qaeda field commander in Afghanistan who has been described by Western intelligence officials as one of Osama bin Laden's top six lieutenants, has been killed, U.S. officials and a mouthpiece for the organization said on Thursday.

Following are five key facts about Libi:

- A Libyan Islamist linked to the Fighting Islamic Group in Libya (FIGL), an organization which announced its existence in 1995 vowing to overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

- In November 2007, al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahri, appeared in a video recording with a man he presented as Abu al-Laith who resembled Libi, announcing the merger of his group, the FIGL, into al Qaeda.

- In 2002, Libi was the first spokesman on behalf of al Qaeda to announce that Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar were alive after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

- U.S. media have said Libi was believed to be behind a suicide bombing in February 2007 that killed 23 people outside the main U.S. base in Afghanistan during a visit by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

- In October 2007, American media announced the U.S. military in Afghanistan had named Libi as one of several "mid-level" al Qaeda and Taliban leaders being sought and said it was offering a $200,000 bounty for each.

(Editing by Sami Aboudi)