Al-Qaeda's Pakistan network head killed in security raid: Government

LAHORE: The head of Al-Qaeda's Pakistan wing has been killed in a raid by counter-terrorism commandos earlier this week near Lahore, foiling their plot to attack the offices of a spy agency, Punjab Home Minister said today.

The deceased Al-Qaeda head has been identified as Abdali who hails from Muridke, Punjab Home Minister Colonel (R) Shuja Khanzada told a press conference here.
"One of the four terrorists killed on Monday during a raid of law enforcement agencies near Lahore was the head of Al-Qaeda networks in Pakistan and in Punjab province," Khanzada said.

The minister also claimed that Al-Qaeda network's Indian sub-continent head Maulana Asim Umer is an Indian national who is hiding in Afghanistan.

Earlier, American national Mahmood was the head of Al-Qaeda's network in the sub-continent. He was killed in a drone attack.

Al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahri had announced the creation of al-Qaida in the Indian sub-continent in September. The raid on Monday was the first known operation against the group in Lahore.

Elite Force commandos on the tip of intelligence agencies raided a house in Ferozwala, Sheikhupura district, 60 kilometers from here, on last Monday and killed three terrorists while one blew himself up.

Two terrorists who also suffered bullet injuries were captured alive.

The minister said the terrorists belonged to Al-Qaeda network in Pakistan.

He said the terrorists were tasked by Al-Qaeda leadership to blow up the Lahore office of Intelligence Bureau and kill some politicians.

The terrorists had brought the arms packed in fruit containers from Waziristan.

Three suicide jackets, one rocket launcher, five kalashnikovs, scores of bullets and maps of sensitive and important places were recovered from the under-construction house they were living.

"The other three terrorists have been identified as Faisal Mubashir of Faisalabad, Saqib Hussain of Rawalpindi and Nauman of Tanak.

"Police teams have been sent to different parts of Punjab to arrest their accomplices," the minister said, adding the terrorists had taken five months training in Waziristan.