New Delhi: A top commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Rajaullah Nizamani, alias Abu Saifullah Khalid, was reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan’s Sindh province on Saturday.
Saifullah Khalid had strict instructions from the organisation to restrict his movement and was also given security, but today, as soon as he left his house in Matli city, unknown gunmen targeted and killed him on the spot near the chowk.
He was an important figure with alleged ties to several major terrorist attacks in India. He is believed to have masterminded the 2001 attack on the CRPF Group Centre in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, which resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers.
Furthermore, he was identified by investigating agencies as the architect behind the 2005 serial blasts that targeted IT companies and government installations in Bangalore. Security forces also attributed the attempted 2006 attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur, which was thwarted, to his planning.
According to the security agencies, after engaging in anti-India activities, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, Nizamani had returned to Pakistan and was active in Sindh, focusing on crucial operational aspects for LeT such as recruitment and funding.
The killing of such a senior and influential figure within the Lashkar-e-Taiba structure has sparked speculation. It is being viewed as potentially a planned target killing. His death also raises questions about internal conflicts or factionalism within Pakistan’s intricate terror networks. The demise of a prominent and ideologically committed figure like Nizamani suggests increasing vulnerability among those patronising or leading terrorist groups in Pakistan, potentially indicating intensified rivalries even in areas like Sindh.
