Saturday, June 4, 2011

Top Pakistani militant Ilyas Kashmiri reported killed in US drone attack


Ilyas Kashmiri, a top Pakistani militant and senior Al Qaeda operative, reportedly has been killed in a US drone strike in the tribal territory of South Waziristan, according to press reports and a statement from the group he headed.
Skip to next paragraph
Related Stories
At tense time for US-Pakistan ties, Hillary Clinton swings velvet hammer
The top 5 Al Qaeda leaders still hiding in Pakistan


Kashmiri is believed to be behind some of the deadliest attacks in India and Pakistan, including a 2009 suicide attack on Pakistan’s spy agency and attacks on US forces in Afghanistan.

He is the operations chief of a group called Harakut-ul Jihad Islami, which has some 3,000 militia members and is classified by the US as a terrorist organization tied to Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Punjabi Taliban.

RECOMMENDED: Top 5 Al Qaeda-linked militants Pakistan has captured

A Newsweek profile headlined “Is Ilyas Kashmiri the New Bin Laden?” said he “has the experience, the connections, and a determination to attack the West – including the United States—that make him the most dangerous Qaeda operative to emerge in years.”

A Pakistani intelligence official said Kashmiri was among nine militants killed in the strike. While identifying individuals killed in such attacks can be difficult, a fax from the militant group he was heading – Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islami's "313 Brigade" – confirmed Kashmiri was "martyred" in the strike.

Described by U.S. officials as Al Qaeda's military operations chief in Pakistan, he was one,to continue:http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0604/Top-Pakistani-militant-Ilyas-Kashmiri-reported-killed-in-US-drone-attack

0 commentaires:

Post a Comment