LeT founding member and aide of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed gunned down in Karachi: Report

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist who is also the aide of the Mumbai 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed was shot dead in broad daylight in Pakistan’s Karachi city, local media reports claimed.

The deceased is said to be Qaiser Farooq, one of the founding members of the proscribed terror organisation LeT.

Video doing the rounds on social media purportedly showed a man, bearing close resemblance to Farooq, walking down the road near a religious institution in Samanabad on Saturday as he is shot from behind.

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While any official confirmation is yet to be awaited; many local media reports alleged that the deceased was Farooq.

Moreover, the veracity of the video is yet to be ascertained.

Succumbed to bullet wounds

Following the attack, Farooq was reportedly admitted to a nearby hospital, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

A 10-year-old boy was also wounded in the attack. The reports further claimed that it was a targeted attack.

Disclaimer: WION could not verify the authenticity of the viral video

The development comes months after another LeT founding member Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, who has also served as the second-in-command of the terror group, was reportedly found dead in a Pakistani prison.

Comes after death of another LeT founder

Bhuttavi, believed to be in his early 80 by some estimates, helped prepare the terrorists who carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

He wassentencedto 16-and-a-half years in prison by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, in a case of terror financing, in August 2020.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Bhuttavi died of a heart attack in a prison at Sheikhupura in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Local reports stated that LeT-affiliated organisations shared videos purportedly showing Bhuttavi’s funeral, believed to have been near Lahore.

(With inputs from agencies)

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