Habibullah, a top terrorist and recruiter of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Pakistan on Monday, according to media reports. Habibullah, who was also known as Bhola Khan or Khan Baba, was killed in a “targeted attack” in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Habibullah was a close aide of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, who is wanted by India and the United States for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Habibullah was responsible for recruiting and training young men for LeT, and sending them across the border to carry out terrorist attacks in India¹². He was also involved in the planning and execution of several high-profile attacks, such as the 2016 Uri attack, the 2019 Pulwama attack, and the 2020 Nagrota encounter.
Habibullah was also the cousin of Dawar Khan Kundi, a former member of the Pakistan National Assembly and an outspoken critic of the Pakistani government and the military. Kundi, who belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, had accused the government of supporting and protecting terrorist groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and had demanded action against them. Kundi was reportedly in shock after hearing the news of Habibullah’s death, and said that he had no idea who was behind the killing.
The killing of Habibullah has created a panic among the other Pakistani terrorists, who fear that they may be the next targets of the unknown assailants. The sources said that the killing may be a part of a covert operation by the Indian intelligence agencies, who have been trying to eliminate the top terrorist leaders in Pakistan.
The killing of Habibullah has also coincided with the internet shutdown in Pakistan, which has been in effect since Friday night. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not given any official reason for the shutdown, but some sources suggest that it is related to the security situation in the country. The shutdown has affected many cities across the country, including Karachi, Lahore, Mirpur Khas, and Rawalpindi.
The internet shutdown has been condemned by human rights groups and digital rights activists, who have called it a violation of the people’s right to access information and free expression. They have also demanded that the PTA restore the internet services immediately and explain the reason for the shutdown. They have warned that the internet shutdown could have serious implications for the security, economy, and democracy of the country.
Source: TimesAlgebra
