ISLAMABAD: A Belgian-Tunisian al Qaeda recruiter who allegedly mentored an extremist who shot dead seven people in France this year has been killed in Pakistan, according to the US monitoring service SITE.
SITE said a post on an extremist web forum on Monday announced the death of Moez Garsalloui, who had claimed responsibility for one of the attacks carried out by Mohamed Merah in the southern French city of Toulouse in March.
Garsalloui was a recruiter and propagandist formerly based in Belgium and Switzerland, SITE said, who remained focused on signing up militants to attack targets in Europe even after moving to the battlefields and training camps of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The post announcing Garsalloui's death said he was killed in a "raid", SITE said without elaborating, having previously escaped bombings in Miranshah.
No details of the raid were given but the website announcement appeared a few days after two US drone strikes in North Waziristan killed 23 people, according to Pakistani security sources.
The death notice named Garsalloui as the leader of "Jund al Khilafah", or Army of the Caliph, a militant unit that claimed responsibility for Merah's attack outside a Jewish school on March 19.
A forum post from one of Garsalloui's accounts in April described meeting Merah in Pakistan and mentoring him, SITE said, helping him as he struggled to make himself understood to other fighters in Arabic.
Garasalloui and his wife, Belgian-Moroccan jihadist Malika el Aroud, were convicted by a Swiss court in June 2007 for running websites that supported terrorism.
He was jailed for three weeks and then moved to Belgium, where he and his wife were accused of recruiting militants to fight in Afghanistan.
He left Europe in late 2007 and was later identified as a link between al Qaeda leaders and a Belgian network that was disrupted by raids in December 2008, accused of planning an imminent attack.
COMMENTS (15)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Why are all these insects in Pakistan!? Very good kill every last one of them!
@Jibran 'North Waziristan has become the new center of learning… Modern day Taxila.'
Well said. Envy your sense of humour.
@Adeel
'how do these goons even enter Pakistan…seems like a bogus report!'
Same way as OBL entered.
@Adeel:
After so many confirmations of foreign militants and terrorists, namely OBL, within Pakistan, everything from Uzbek militants to Moroccan Al Qaeda guys who planned the Marriott bombing to American raised Somalis looking for Jihadi training, you still want to act like its not possible and feign ignorance?
@Moise:
No one mentions it because its unfounded and delusional, knowing Pakistan and Pakistanis weak implementation of immigration and border controls and long history of being infested with foreign militants.
A perfect snap shot of deranged denialists or conspiracists, who are also probably Taliban apologists in varying degrees.
Praised be the " Drones, " The all mighty Lord of the Fata skies. Keep up the good work Droners. I would nominate the Drones for Noble Peace Award.
@Adeel: How? You really have to ask? Probably the same way most people do. There's not a single country that doesn't have to deal with undesirable entry. Even ones surrounded by ocean have it happen by boat. With that and Pakistani supporters, I'm sure it takes little to no effort.
North Waziristan has become the new center of learning... Modern day Taxila.
good riddance to bad rubbish
@Econmy: True its once a lifetime, as they generally don't leave alive thanks to the wonderful drones.
Funny no one mentions the PISCES immigration system sold by CIA company to Pakistan which enable these patsies to roam freely into Pakistan.
how do these goons even enter Pakistan...seems like a bogus report!
@It Is (still) Economy Stupid: so what is the difference between these two places?? LOL
All Muslims come to Pakistan for education.
Muslims go to KSA for once in a life lifetime pilgrimage Extremists go to Pakistan for once in a life lifetime pilgrimage.