Key Qaeda operatives captured from Quetta
ISPR says ISI-US intelligence cooperation leads to arrest of three men
* Younis al Mauritani was tasked personally by Osama bin Laden to hit targets in US, Europe and Australia
* Pak-US intelligence agencies working closely to enhance security of their respective nations
ISLAMABAD: A senior al Qaeda leader believed to have been responsible for planning attacks on the US, Europe and Australia has been arrested in southwest Pakistan, the army announced on Monday.
Younis al-Mauritani was picked up in the suburbs of the southwestern city of Quetta along with two other high-ranking operatives for the global terror network, the military said in a statement. Cooperation between the CIA and Inter-Services Intelligence agency led to the arrests by the paramilitary, it said, without saying when Mauritani was detained.
“In an intelligence-driven operation by Inter-Services Intelligence in coordination with Frontier Corps Balochistan, a senior al Qaeda leader, Younis al-Mauritani, mainly responsible for planning and conduct of international operations, was nabbed,” the statement said. “Al-Mauritani was tasked personally by Osama bin Laden to focus on hitting targets of economical importance in United States of America, Europe and Australia,” the army said.
“He was planning to target United States economic interests including gas/oil pipelines, power generating dams and strike ships/oil tankers through explosive-laden speed boats in international waters.” The army named the two other senior operatives as Abdul Ghaffar al-Shami and Messara al-Shami. Mauritani does not feature on either the US’s FBI list of most wanted terrorists or the US Treasury department’s own list of global terrorists.
But Western intelligence officials from two separate countries confirmed Mauritani was part of al Qaeda’s top team in Pakistan, and linked to threats against Europe. “If it’s confirmed, it’s a good catch,” said one Western intelligence source.
“This operation was planned and conducted with technical assistance of United States intelligence agencies with whom Inter-Services Intelligence has a strong, historic intelligence relationship. Both Pakistan and United States intelligence agencies continue to work closely together to enhance security of their respective nations,” the military said in a written statement.
Despite recent breaks in the relationship between US and Pakistan’s spy networks following the US covert killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May, the army heralded the cooperation that led to the arrests. The capture of an al Qaeda operative inside Pakistan has become rare in recent years: most targets of CIA operations in the country have been killed by drone aircraft in a relentless series of operations that started to increase in 2008. His capture is likely to create chaos within al Qaeda: even if he does not reveal compromising information, that possibility is almost certain to force the network to alter plans, move operatives and make a variety of other sudden changes damaging its ability to carry out attacks. Al Qaeda’s centre of operations is believed to be in the lawless tribal areas of northwest Pakistan, many hours from Quetta. agencies
* Younis al Mauritani was tasked personally by Osama bin Laden to hit targets in US, Europe and Australia
* Pak-US intelligence agencies working closely to enhance security of their respective nations
ISLAMABAD: A senior al Qaeda leader believed to have been responsible for planning attacks on the US, Europe and Australia has been arrested in southwest Pakistan, the army announced on Monday.
Younis al-Mauritani was picked up in the suburbs of the southwestern city of Quetta along with two other high-ranking operatives for the global terror network, the military said in a statement. Cooperation between the CIA and Inter-Services Intelligence agency led to the arrests by the paramilitary, it said, without saying when Mauritani was detained.
“In an intelligence-driven operation by Inter-Services Intelligence in coordination with Frontier Corps Balochistan, a senior al Qaeda leader, Younis al-Mauritani, mainly responsible for planning and conduct of international operations, was nabbed,” the statement said. “Al-Mauritani was tasked personally by Osama bin Laden to focus on hitting targets of economical importance in United States of America, Europe and Australia,” the army said.
“He was planning to target United States economic interests including gas/oil pipelines, power generating dams and strike ships/oil tankers through explosive-laden speed boats in international waters.” The army named the two other senior operatives as Abdul Ghaffar al-Shami and Messara al-Shami. Mauritani does not feature on either the US’s FBI list of most wanted terrorists or the US Treasury department’s own list of global terrorists.
But Western intelligence officials from two separate countries confirmed Mauritani was part of al Qaeda’s top team in Pakistan, and linked to threats against Europe. “If it’s confirmed, it’s a good catch,” said one Western intelligence source.
“This operation was planned and conducted with technical assistance of United States intelligence agencies with whom Inter-Services Intelligence has a strong, historic intelligence relationship. Both Pakistan and United States intelligence agencies continue to work closely together to enhance security of their respective nations,” the military said in a written statement.
Despite recent breaks in the relationship between US and Pakistan’s spy networks following the US covert killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May, the army heralded the cooperation that led to the arrests. The capture of an al Qaeda operative inside Pakistan has become rare in recent years: most targets of CIA operations in the country have been killed by drone aircraft in a relentless series of operations that started to increase in 2008. His capture is likely to create chaos within al Qaeda: even if he does not reveal compromising information, that possibility is almost certain to force the network to alter plans, move operatives and make a variety of other sudden changes damaging its ability to carry out attacks. Al Qaeda’s centre of operations is believed to be in the lawless tribal areas of northwest Pakistan, many hours from Quetta. agencies
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Brief News:
Ø Restoration of peace in Karachi
Ø Target killing claims four more lives in Karachi
Ø Over 100 arrested in Karachi search operation
Ø Prominent Baloch militant leader ready to join mainstream politics.Raisani
Ø White House hails Mauritani capture
Mohammed Saleem Mansoori
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