MSNBC: Senior al-Qaida operative Ilyas Kashmiri, regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous militants, has been killed by a U.S. drone strike, Pakistani intelligence officials and a militant group confirmed Saturday.
A fax from Kashmiri’s Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islami militant group said Saturday that Kashmiri was “martyred” in the strike at 11:15 p.m. Friday in South Waziristan. It vowed revenge against America.
The Pakistani official also said Saturday that Kashmiri was among nine militants killed in the strike … Kashmiri is one of five most-wanted militant leaders in Pakistan and his apparent death is another blow to al-Qaida just over a month after Osama bin Laden was killed.
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BBC: ….According to a recent Associated Press report, his name figured among the top five al-Qaeda and Taliban militants US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mentioned during her meetings with the Pakistani leadership a week ago.
He was one of the most active al-Qaeda leaders, and was believed to have had a role in some high-profile attacks against Pakistani and US interests in Pakistan. It is believed that the capabilities of his 313 Brigade will suffer a setback now that he is gone.
What is more, the Pakistani government has admitted to agreeing to set up joint intelligence teams with the Americans to hunt down wanted militant leaders, and many would be led to believe the Pakistani intelligence operatives had a role in leading the Americans to Kashmiri, unless the Pakistanis or the Americans claim otherwise.
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