The Al Qaeda bomb-maker who made the bomb that was used in a failed underwear bombing of a plane is dead.
The White House confirms that Ibrahim al-Asiri was killed during a counterterrorism operation in Yemen two years ago.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear while aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas 2009. al-Asiri built the bomb.
His specialty was making bombs that were small enough to get past security at airports. The White House says he also built an explosive device intended to be used against an aircraft in 2012.
The death of al-Asiri was reported overseas two years ago, but was not confirmed by the U-S until now.