India-Born Asim Umar, Al-Qaeda's Indian Subcontinent Chief, Killed In Afghanistan

Asim Umar, the India-born terrorist who was chief of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) since its creation in 2014, was killed in a joint US-Afghan raid on a Taliban compound last month, Afghanistan’s spy agency announced today.

Umar has been the chief Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) since its inception. He was killed during a raid on September 23 on a Taliban compound in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province.

Chief of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Asim Umar killed in Musa Qala district in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province by US Forces in an air strike: TOLO News pic.twitter.com/yHvaNAiJnt

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2019

The Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security said Umar was a Pakistani citizen, though some reports claim he was born in India. He “was #killed along with six other AQIS members, most of them Pakistani”, the NDS said on Twitter, adding that Umar had been 'embedded' with the Taliban.

The US had provided air support for the lengthy and confusing overnight operation from September 22-23. Authorities said they would investigate reports that 40 civilians, including children, lost their lives in an air strike during the operation.

'Raihan', a courier for Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, is among the six other AQIS members killed in the raid. US Forces-Afghanistan declined to comment.

Under a stalled withdrawal plan negotiated between the US and the Taliban, Washington agreed to pull troops from Afghanistan if the insurgents abide by security guarantees and cut all ties with Al-Qaeda.

With PTI Inputs