Washington  - The son of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed by a US missile attack in Pakistan, US National Public Radio reported Wednesday.

Saad bin Laden was believed killed in a missile strike from a US drone earlier this year, intelligence officials told the broadcaster.

An unnamed intelligence source said US spy agencies were "80 to 85 per cent" sure the younger bin Laden had been killed, the report said.

Though he was an al-Qaeda member he was not believed to be a significant part of the organization. (dpa)