A senior Al-Qaeda leader, who was involved in multiple deadly attacks in Pakistan, has been killed in a US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan, the Pentagon confirmed on Saturday. The confirmation of Yasin's death comes two days after the Pakistani Taliban said the top al-Qaeda terrorist was killed in the strike.
Qari Yasin was responsible for plotting the attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on 20 September 2008 and was also said to be the mastermind behind the attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.
Jim Mattis, US Defence Secretary said the top al-Qaeda official was killed on March 19 in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan in a US counter-terrorism strike. "The death of Qari Yasin is evidence that terrorists who defame Islam and deliberately target innocent people will not escape justice," Mattis told PTI.
According to reports, Yasin had connections with the Tehrik-e Taliban or the Pakistani Taliban and had plotted a number of al Qaeda terror attacks. The Pentagon's statement said US Air Force Maj Rodolfo I Rodriguez and Navy Cryptologic Technician Third Class Petty Officer Matthew J O'Bryant were killed in the bombing that took place at the Marriott Hotel.
The authorities said that three other companions of Yasin were also killed in the US drone strike. Mohammad Khurasani, the outfit's spokesperson described Yasin as a "close assistant" of the Pakistani Taliban. He added that the leader was also a "trainer of Mujahideen."
