The US military has captured a key suspect linked to the deadly 2012 attack on an American consulate in Benghazi in a secret raid in Libya over the weekend, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"I can confirm that on Sunday, June 15 the US military -- in cooperation with law enforcement personnel -- captured Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a key figure in the attacks on US facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012," spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.