Army says no confirmation on Al Shahri’s death
Pakistan had no confirmation that al Qaeda’s chief of operations in the country had been killed in a recent drone strike in the northwestern tribal region, as reported by American officials.
Abu Hafs al Shahri, a Saudi national who had been serving as the senior figure in al Qaeda’s central command, was the target of the drone strike which occurred within the last few days, two US officials said on Thursday.
“We have no knowledge of that,” said Pakistan military spokesman Major Gen Athar Abbas on Friday.
“We have neither heard of this man operating in this region, nor can we confirm his death,” said an intelligence official operating in the tribal regions near the Afghan border.
While US officials declined to provide details, the only drone strike this month occurred on Sunday when a US drone targeted a militant compound in North Waziristan that killed at least three suspected militants. If confirmed, Al Shahri would be the sixth senior al Qaeda figure killed by either US or Pakistani forces in Pakistan since May with the death of their chief Osama bin Laden in a secret US raid in Abbottabad.
Two Pakistani intelligence officials said two of the dead in that strike were Pakistani militants, but had no information about the third target. One of the US officials said al Shahri’s responsibilities included coordinating the activities of al Qaeda’s leadership with the Tehreek-i-Taliban.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2011.
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If true, good riddance.
haha looks like US is killing imaginary "senior Al Qaeda operatives" to make headlines.
NATO now must turn their guns to Saudi from where these terrorists continue to emerge.
Mark this man's(Athar Abbas) words, if tomorrow proof emerges about the killing of the militant, he will shamelessly say, 'Yes, it was a joint operation by Pak and NATO'.
For a very long time, I failed to understand as to how a place like SOHRAB GOTH can exist in a city like Karachi but today I fail to understand how the whole of Pakistan can turn into a place like SOHRAB GOTH, where no law of the land exists and people like Abu Hafs al Shahri find it really convenient to find a sanctuary.
Of all the countries in the World, these high profile terrorists are able to make Pakistan its hideout goes a long way to prove the sheer incompetence of all the LEAs of this state or may be they are highly competent and are just simply complicit.
Either of the two as there is no third option.
hahhaah it's just like an accident which was about to happen..but it didn't..still the friend is texting her fellow mates ' ALMOST DEAD' ??
USA-PAK ... RELATION SUCKX....!!! both ov them behave like husband/wife..
two opposite theories.. i think.. USA just wants to divert our minds so tht they can do another operation (same as Obama's bin laden)