Islamabad • Pakistani soldiers killed a top al-Qaida operative Saturday who was indicted in the U.S. for his alleged involvement in a plot to bomb New York's subway system, the military said in a statement.
The death of Adnan Shukrijumah is the latest blow to the terror organization still reeling from the 2011 killing of leader Osama bin Laden and now largely eclipsed by the militant Islamic State. It also marks a major achievement for the Pakistani military.
The military said Shukrijumah was killed along with two other suspected militants in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal area early Saturday. South Waziristan is part of the mountainous territory bordering Afghanistan and home to various militant groups fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"The al-Qaida leader, who was killed by the Pakistan army in a successful operation, is the same person who had been indicted in the United States," said a senior Pakistani army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
As al-Qaida's head of external operations, Shukrijumah, 39, occupied a position once held by Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The FBI lists Shukrijumah, a Saudi national, as a "most wanted" terrorist and the U.S. State Department had offered up to a $5 million reward for his capture.
Federal prosecutors in the U.S. allege Shukrijumah had recruited three men in 2008 for the subway attack. Attorney General Eric Holder has called that New York plot one of the most dangerous since 9/11.
Adis Medunjanin, originally from Bosnia, was sentenced to life in prison in November 2012 for his role in a foiled 2009 plot. Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay cooperated with the government in the hopes of getting a reduced sentence.
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible