{UAH} Pakistani Soldiers Kill Top Al Qaeda Militant Accused of Plotting NYC Subway Attack
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Pakistani Soldiers Kill Top Al Qaeda Militant Accused of Plotting NYC Subway Attack
December 6, 2014 | 2:39 pmThe Pakistani military announced Saturday that soldiers killed a top al Qaeda militant who was accused of plotting a bombing attack on the New York City subway system.
The militant, Adnan Shukrijumah, was on the FBI's most wanted list and served as al Qaeda's head of external operations, a role formerly occupied by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Shukrijumah, 39, allegedly recruited three US citizens to participate in the foiled 2009 subway bombing, which Attorney General Eric Holder deemed one of the most dangerous schemes since 9/11. The men were arrested in September 2009 before they could detonate homemade devices during rush hour. Shukrijumah — a Saudi national who attended community college in Florida — fled the US in 2003 and planned the attacks from Pakistan.
Shukrijumah was reportedly killed during a pre-dawn raid in South Waziristan, an area in northwest Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan. The Pakistani military has been waging an ongoing battle against militants in the area since June. More than 1,100 militants and 100 soldiers have been killed in the operation, the military told AFP
The Pakistani military's Chief of Staff expressed his "complete satisfaction on the progress of operations and the achievements made so far," in a statement posted on the military's website Saturday. Pakistani soldiers and journalists declared the killing of Shukrijumah a major victory on social media.
Pakistani soldier Amer Khan praised the "outstanding operation" and encouraged his fellow servicemen to "keep chasing pigs."
Islamabad-based journalist Farhat Jrved Rabani tweeted that the militant was the "first big name" killed in Pakistan's counterterrorism offensive.
Villagers in the area where Shukrijumah was killed were ordered to remain inside Saturday in case of further confrontations.
"The entire area was kept in curfew and all schools remained closed today," Dildad Wazir told NBC News. "Beside the ground forces, two helicopter gunships took part in the offensives and pounded suspected hideouts of the militants."
Follow Meredith Hoffman on Twitter: @merhoffman
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