Story highlights Nazih al-Ruqaii, aka Abu Anas al Libi, has died at a hospital, family says

Libyan native was snatched in Tripoli by U.S. forces in October 2013

Authorities say he played role in bombings at American embassies in 1998

(CNN) Abu Anas al Libi, an alleged al Qaeda operative accused of involvement in the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa who was captured by U.S. special forces in Libya, has died in a U.S. hospital, his son said Saturday.

Abdel Mouin told CNN by phone from Tripoli that the family was notified by his lawyer in the United States that al Libi, whose real name was Nazih al-Ruqaii, died in a hospital Friday evening.

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The 50-year-old native of Libya was accused of playing a role in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania . The two bombings killed 224 people, including 12 Americans, and injured thousands more.

A document filed in court Saturday by the Department of Justice said al Libi died after his already poor health suddenly worsened.

On Wednesday, the letter filed with the judge presiding over the trial said, he "was taken from the Metropolitan Correctional Center to a New York hospital due to sudden complications arising out of his long-standing medical problems."