Suspected liquid bomber reported killed in Pakistan

The man suspected of sparking the crackdown on the carrying of liquids on planes is reported to have been killed by a US missile strike in northern Pakistan.

Rashid Rauf, an Islamic fundamentalist with British nationality, was arrested in Pakistan in 2006 but he escaped from police custody.

He was identified as a key figure in a plot to blow up transatlantic flights with liquid explosive.

Intelligence sources say he has been killed, along with four others, in the North Waziristan tribal province, by a missile dropped from a US remote-control drone.

Airports and airlines went into crisis mode around the globe two years ago after the alleged discovery of a plot to detonate liquid explosives in mid-air.

For some time passengers were banned from carrying any liquids on board any planes. The fear that determined terrorists could blow up planes in this way still persists and the clear plastic bag has become a must-have travel accessory.

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