Adnan al Shukrijuma: profile of a terrorist

Top al Qaeda commander was killed in South Waziristan by the army

PESHAWAR: One of al Qaeda's top commanders was killed in  South Waziristan in a military operation, the Pakistan Army said on Saturday.

Adnan al Shukrijuma, born on August 4, 1975, in Saudi Arabia, moved to the United States in his youth where he attained his education and later became a part of the al Qaeda.

The US FBI declared Shukrijuma as “one of al Qaeda’s top commanders, responsible for external operations program.”

He was declared an absconder and wanted in connection with an attempt to blow up the New York subway, as well as for plots connected to targets in the United Kingdom in 2010.

In this respect, a US court in New York had formally indicted Shukrijuma for his involvement in the terrorist plan.

Both Pakistani and US officials have similar reports regarding Shurkrijuma’s status in al Qaeda.

He was counted amongst the few top al Qaeda commanders and was responsible for its external affairs, terrorist actions and network.

However, details regarding his arrival in the tribal areas of Pakistan from the United States are yet to be retrieved.

In light of his alleged involvement in terrorist plans in both the US and Great Britain, the US declared an amount of $5 million as head money against Shukrijuma. US agencies even offered attractive rewards on provision of information which would assist them in his arrest.

US federal prosecutors alleged Shukrijuma had recruited three men in 2008 to receive training in the lawless tribal region of Pakistan for bombing the New York subway system. He was also wanted in what Americans allege was a conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and to commit murder in a foreign country.

However, nothing has been mentioned about such foreign countries in the US allegations.

“Charges framed by US agencies against Shukrijuma reveal that the plot against the New York City's subway system, uncovered in September 2009, was directed by senior al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan," the FBI website said.

The subway plot was described by prosecutors at the time as the most serious threat to New York since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

US reports further state that Shukrijuma was also linked to other suspects by US authorities,  including a group of men accused of planning to bomb fuel pipelines at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport.

Tribal sources confirm that Shukrijuma was known amongst locals, and aside from being able to speak Arabic and English, he was fluent in Pashto – had command over Waziri and Mehsud pronunciation of Pashto -- Urdu and Dari.