Did an airstrike take out Ayman al-Zawahiri?; Update: DoD says untrue

http://twitter.com/#!/HannahAllam/status/512395722205839360

Jihadis close to AQ tweeting about an air strike in Waziristan that killed many AQ. Speculation about Zawahiri but so far nothing concrete.

— J.M. Berger (@intelwire) September 18, 2014

#Isis handlers tweeting tt unconfirmed reports suggest tt #Zawahiri & a nmbr of top AQ officials were killed in an airstrike in #Waziristan.

— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) September 18, 2014

.2/ Others saying #Zawahari was not killed, but that other top officials of his perished in the strike.

— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) September 18, 2014

Senior Defense Official tells me no U.S. military operations in that area at all that would account for such a strike. #Zawahiri

— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 18, 2014

— Ryan Donnelly (@madbad) September 18, 2014

Here's most reasonable statement on reports of #drone strike killing #AlQaeda leader #Zawahiri: MT @HannahAllam All rumor, no confirmation.

— Jonah Blank (@JonahBlank) September 18, 2014

Wednesday morning saw "40 terrorists including foreigners in killed in villages in North Wazirastan Agency" #ISPR #Zawahiri

— Sophia Saifi (@SophiaSaifi) September 18, 2014

There was no indication that the fighters killed yesterday by airstrikes in #NorthWaziristan were #AlQaeda or included #Zawahiri #Pakistan

— Sophia Saifi (@SophiaSaifi) September 18, 2014

Developing.

Update 11:19 PM September 17:

A few sources are citing a Defense Department official asserting the rumors that Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike are untrue.

Is Zawahiri dead or not? Someone go wander over to Waziristan and check.

— Christine (@cmdeb) September 18, 2014

Several senior al-Qaeda leaders killed in #Waziristan, #Pakistan. Al-Zawahiri is not among them.

— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) September 18, 2014

US defence official: "We are aware of the reporting. Rumours that Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike are not accurate"

— Aleem Maqbool (@AleemMaqbool) September 18, 2014

Scotch that one then. MT@AleemMaqbool US defence official: "Rumours that Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike aren't accurate"

— Rodger Shanahan (@RodgerShanahan) September 18, 2014

No #Pak military or #US drone strike in #NWA overnight or this morning according to military sources and indie reports #Zawahiri #Pakistan

— Sophia Saifi (@SophiaSaifi) September 18, 2014