Al Qaeda confirms death of Major Adil Qudoos in drone strike

Along with Maj Qudoos, Dr Sarbuland Khan and his two children were killed in the strike

ISLAMABAD: Al Qaeda’s sub-continent branch on Thursday confirmed that a former affiliate of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, Major (retd) Adil Qudoos, had been killed in a US drone strike earlier in November.

According to the group’s spokesperson Usama Mehmood, Qudoos was killed by the strike in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region on November 9.

A military court had sentenced Qudoos to six years in prison in 2003 after the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Kahlid Sheikh Muhammd was arrested from the Rawalpindi house of his brother Ahmad Qudoos. After Adil Qudoos’ release in 2008, the former Army official joined al Qaeda and moved to the Waziristan tribal region along with his family.

Qudoos was not the only one to die in that strike. His  brother-in-law Dr Sarbuland, known among militants as Abu Khalid, along with his two sons Uzair (13) and Suleman (15), were also killed in the attack. Dr Sarbuland used to run a hospital for militants in North Waziristan.

Both, Qudoos and Dr Sarbuland, had previously survived bombings in Miranshah, the spokesperson added.

“The Americans are claiming to be the champions of the children rights, but their drone targeted children,” Usama Mehmood said.