Abu Saifullah, a high-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and key recruiter, was shot dead early Sunday by unknown gunmen in Pakistan’s Sindh province. This is a major setback for the terror group, which is already struggling after India’s recent Operation Sindoor. Operation Sindoor involved targeted strikes by India on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Saifullah was in charge of Lashkar’s operations in Nepal and was involved in many terrorist attacks in India during the early 2000s. Some of these attacks include the 2006 attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur, the 2008 attack on a CRPF camp in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, and the 2005 attack on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru.

A source said, “Saifullah’s signature tactic of deploying jihadis disguised in Army fatigues or police uniforms was a distinctive feature in all three attacks.” This means that the terrorists used fake army or police uniforms to carry out their attacks, making it difficult for security forces to identify them.

Close associate of LeT commander and longtime terror module head

Saifullah was a close associate of LeT’s launch commander Azam Cheema, also known as Babaji, according to sources. His real name was Razaullah Nizamani, but he was given the name Abu Saifullah when sent for terrorist activities in Kashmir. Later, LeT’s top leaders gave him the title ‘Ghazi’, a respected title among jihadis. He was also called Ghazi Abu Saifullah.

Saifullah had nine different names or aliases, including Vinod Kumar, which he used while working in Nepal. He was responsible for recruiting new members, providing money and logistics support, and helping terrorists move across the India-Nepal border. The dossier on him says, “He used the alias of Vinod while operating in Nepal.”

After finishing terrorist activities in India, Saifullah returned to Pakistan. He then worked with LeT’s chief accountant Yaqub, raising money for Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar. He also helped recruit more terrorists at LeT’s launchpads. He lived in Balochistan with his wife. Recently, he was also working with Hamas and raising funds for Gaza and Palestine.

Pakistani police said, “Today, he had stepped out of his house in the city of Matli when he was gunned down at a nearby intersection by unidentified armed assailants on a bike.”

Major attacks linked to Abu Saifullah

Abu Saifullah was linked to some important terrorist attacks in India. One was the attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur on June 1, 2006. In this attack, three terrorists tried to attack but were stopped and killed by security forces. Another attack was on a CRPF camp in Rampur on January 1, 2008, where seven paramilitary soldiers and one civilian lost their lives. He was also involved in the attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru on December 28, 2005. In that attack, terrorists wore army uniforms and fired randomly. A retired professor named Manish Chander Puri was killed, and four other people were injured.