US drones brings Iliyas Kashmiri's terror-exploits to an end

Islamabad, June 4 (PTI) Ironical as it may sound but
Mohammed Ilyas Kashmir, who wanted to target Lockheed Martin
CEO for manufacturing the deadly drones that inflicted a huge
toll on militants hiding in Pakistan's restive northwest, was
killed by one of the same unmanned flying machines.
Touted to take over the reins of al-Qaeda after
killing of Osama bin Laden, his terror-exploits filled career,
which included masterminding the 26/11 terror strikes in
Mumbai and brutal killing of an Indian Army officer,
assassination of Pakistani top military officials, came to end
at Pakistan's South Waziristan late last Friday night when the
CIA operated drone machines fired four missiles.
Born in January 2, 1964 at Kotli in Pakistan-occupied-
Kashmir, Kashmiri left his studies at Allama Iqbal Open
University in Islamabad and started indulging in terror
activities to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan during which he
lost an eye and a finger in the battlefield.
Initially beginning his terror career with Lashker-e-
Taiba, Kashmiri, on whom US announced five million dollars as
reward, later formed his own Harkat-e-Jehadi Islami (HuJI) and
indulged in terror activities aimed against India.
Wanted by India for killing of a police officer in
Ghaziabad in 1994, Kashmiri and his three others had managed
to kidnap some foreigners in Delhi.
However, the kidnapping drama could not last long and
the foreigners were rescued but he managed to give a slip to
the raiding sleuths after killing station house officer of
Ghaziabad.
During this incident, Omar Sheikh was arrested after
he was injured in the gun fight. He was later released in
exchange for passengers aboard the hijacked IC-814 at Kandahar
in 1999. India had secured an Interpol Red Corner notice
against Kashmiri in October 2010.
His role in the 26/11 came to light only after the
arrest of Pakistani-American Lashker terrorist David Headley
who told investigators that Kashmiri was present at the
control room in Karachi when the 10 terrorists were killing
people mercilessly in Mumbai on November 26.
Kashmiri's notoriety greatly increased in February
2000 after he led a gruesome attack on an Indian military post
in which he allegedly beheaded an Indian soldier. Pictures of
Kashmiri holding the head circulated through the press, and it
was reported that he received a personal reward after
presenting the head to General Pervez Musharraf.
Following the Mumbai attacks, Kashmiri also wanted
Headley to return to India to conduct surveillance on Israeli
targets in response to events in Gaza in 2009.
Kashmiri, who was once the head of the infamous 313
brigade of the HuJI that carried out attacks in Kashmir,
always looked for recruits with such attributes that allowed
them to move under the radar, contributing to his terror
missions abroad.
The 313 brigade was carved out specially by the HuJI
and disgruntled elements of Lashker for assisting Taliban in
Afghanistan.
Way back in September 2009, he was reported killed in
an attack by a US spy plane in North Waziristan but re-emerged
a month later to give an interview to Syed Saleem Shahzad, the
journalist who was recently abducted and murdered.