Pakistani news channels are reporting that an Australian named Saifullah who served as a key aide to Osama bin Laden was killed in yesterday’s Predator airstrike on a “guesthouse” in Mir Ali that killed four “militants.” From KUNA:
Citing unnamed official sources, local news channel Dawn reported that militant commander Saifullah, who was close to Osama Bin Laden, was among four militants killed in a US drone strike in Mir Ali district of North Waziristan agency.
More on Saifullah from Xinhua, which described him as “a key supporter of Osama bin Laden”:
Saif Ullah, a 50-year-old Australian national, is believed to be a key leader of militants supporting al-Qaida. He is the second most important militant leader killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan since this year.
US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would neither confirm nor deny that Saifullah was killed, but only said they were aware of the reports and were investigating.
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5 Comments
Not anybody I’m familiar with, but then again who amongst us heard of Abu Ahmed al Kuwaiti before May 2? Osama kept those closest around him under wraps.
All I can say, is two things:
I hope it’s true,
and,
Keep it coming.
I am thankful that the US are finally destroying the big fish of the Taliban and al-Qaeda without much help from the corrupt and brutal ISI. Saif Ullah was a very high official and this is a sign the CIA and our special forces are getting very specific intelligence.
more reports that Ilyas Kashmiri was killed
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/Al_Qaeda_Commander_Killed_In_Pakistan_By_Drone_125119139.html
The US now confirms Kashmiri’s death. This is great news, and may be nearly as important to the GWOT as OBL’s killing.Al Zawahiri is next on the list to be dispatched.
However, the Kashmiri snake has had many lives and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he (and/or the ISI) faked his death to ease the pressure on him (and the Pakistanis), and that he’s hiding out in Bangladesh where HUJI is entrenched.