The Hindu : Front Page : Ilyas Kashmiri reported killed in U.S. drone attack

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Sunday, Jun 05, 2011
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Ilyas Kashmiri reported killed in U.S. drone attack

Anita Joshua

HuJI confirms the death of its leader in a statement

God willing, America will very soon see our full revenge, says HuJI
His name figured in list of 5 terrorists U.S. handed over to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist' Ilyas Kashmiri — wanted by both India and the United States — was reportedly killed in a drone attack in South Waziristan along the Afghanistan border on Friday night. The outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) confirmed the death of its ‘amir' (leader) and commander-in-chief in a statement faxed to Pakistani media organisations on Saturday afternoon, though security officials remained circumspect as the veracity of the fax could not be established.

According to the HuJI spokesman, Kashmiri was “martyred” along with eight other companions in an American drone strike at 11.15 p.m. on Friday. “God willing, America will very soon see our full revenge. Our only target is America,” the statement said. The drone attack took place in an area of the tribal agency that is controlled by Mullah Nazir, reportedly considered a ‘good Taliban.'

Shahzad's interview

Given that Kashmiri was similarly considered killed in a drone attack in North Waziristan in September 2009, questions were raised about the latest reports of his death, particularly in the absence of an official confirmation. After the 2009 report of his death, news of Kashmiri being alive was announced to the world by Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad (found murdered on May 31) a month later after travelling to North Waziristan to interview the HuJI leader on invitation. Kashmiri also used this interview to deny his links with the Pakistani security establishment amid reports that he had once been a member of the elite Special Services Group.

In his book, ‘Inside Al-Qaeda & The Taliban, Beyond Bin Laden & 9/11' — launched 10 days before his murder under mysterious circumstances earlier this week — Shahzad claimed that the Mumbai terror attack was conceived by Kashmiri as a “massive operation” aimed at bringing India and Pakistan to war, thereby ensuring a halt to proposed operations against the al-Qaeda. A plan of the ISI — which had been put in cold storage — was then hijacked by Kashmiri to put the two countries on collision course.

$5 million reward

Kashmiri's name figured in the list of five terrorists that the U.S. reportedly handed over to Pakistan on May 27 during Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's visit to Islamabad. In April this year, the U.S. Department of State authorised a reward of up to $5 million for information regarding Kashmiri.

‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist'

According to the U.S. State Department, Kashmiri has led HuJI training camps and his outfit has launched several attacks in India and Pakistan, including the suicide bombing of the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. Kashmiri had been declared a ‘specially designated global terrorist' by the U.S. in August 2010.

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