ISLAMABAD: Harkatul Jihad al-Islami (HJI) leader Ilyas Kashmiri the lead the Kashmiri Militant movement against India has been killed by a US drone attack that Killed nine militants in South Waziristan. local officials said Saturday.
Ilyas Kashmiri, 47, was considered one of the most feared operational commanders of the Harkatul Jihad al-Islami (HJI) which launched attacks against Indian army targets in Indian occupied Kashmir and United States had put out a $5 million reward — the maximum for any most-wanted target — for any information that might help locate him.
Pakistani officials said nine people were killed in the US missile strike on Friday at a compound in the Ghwakhwa area of South Waziristan.
“All those killed were Kashmiri’s fighters but informers told us that the dead bodies were badly mutilated and that it was not possible to recognise any of them” the official added.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, asked during a visit to the city of Multan about reports of Kashmiri’s killing, said he had “no information”.
Two intelligence officials in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan, also confirmed that those killed on Friday were all Kashmiri fighters.
