Mystery injury lands LeT co-founder Amir Hamza in Lahore hospital days after top aide's killing
Amir Hamza, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba leader, is in a Lahore hospital under tight security. He was critically injured at his home. The incident follows the killing of Abu Saifullah in Sindh. Saifullah was a key LeT commander linked to attacks in India. These events suggest turmoil within the Lashkar ranks. It raises concerns about the group's future.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
A grim backdrop: Saifullah's assassination
A cloud of secrecy surrounds the sudden hospitalisation of senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ideologue and co-founder Amir Hamza , who was admitted to a military hospital in Lahore on Tuesday under tight ISI security cover. TOI sources suggest the 66-year-old veteran jihadi was critically injured at his residence, but the nature of the injuries and circumstances remain unclear.The incident comes at a time of visible churn within Lashkar's upper echelons, fuelling speculation over possible internal strife or targeted eliminations. Hamza, a long-time associate of Hafiz Saeed and Abdul Rehman Makki, was a core member of Lashkar's central committee and served as the group's chief propagandist and head of its publications wing.According to the TOI report, pro-Lashkar Telegram channels, the reaction to Hamza's condition was swift and anxious. Messages urged followers to remain calm and described the episode as an 'accident,' but the tone suggested unease within the ranks.Hamza, declared a global terrorist by the United States in 2012, was known as the ideological engine behind Lashkar's narrative operations.A former Afghan jihadi, he gradually shifted from field operations to overseeing Lashkar's propaganda, authoring books like Qafila Da'wat aur Shahadat (Caravan of Proselytising and Martyrdom) and Shahrah-e-Bahisht (The Road to Paradise). He also served as the editor of Lashkar's weekly newspaper and contributed extensively to its radical literature.According to US Treasury Department records, Hamza held multiple senior roles in LeT's outreach and fundraising arms and was one of three designated negotiators tasked with securing the release of detained Lashkar operatives, noted the report. He also briefly led a front organisation — Jaish-e-Manqafa — floated by Hafiz Saeed in 2018 to circumvent Pakistan's temporary bans on Lashkar and Jamaat-ud-Dawah.Moreover, prior to being moved to lead the propaganda front of the LeT, Hamza had resided in India in the early 200s as an active terrorist.While the group publicly shifted Hamza into its ideological wing years ago, his deep connections with LeT's old guard and his role in negotiating factional balances have kept him a powerful behind-the-scenes figure.His abrupt medical emergency — coupled with the hush surrounding it — has only intensified the sense of instability in the outfit.Hamza's hospitalisation comes just three days after the killing of Abu Saifullah, a high-ranking Lashkar commander and key recruiter, in Pakistan's Sindh province.Saifullah was gunned down by unidentified assailants early on Sunday, in what intelligence analysts view as a major disruption to LeT's operational network.He had been overseeing Lashkar's covert infrastructure in Nepal and was linked to several attacks in India, including the 2005 IISc Bengaluru shooting, the 2006 Nagpur RSS headquarters plot, and the 2008 CRPF camp assault in Rampur. Notably, he and Hamza were both believed to have coordinated the IISc attack together.A hallmark of Saifullah's tactics was the use of terrorists dressed in Indian Army or police uniforms — a chilling signature seen across multiple attacks. His death, unclaimed by any group, has prompted speculation over internal purges or externally driven eliminations aimed at dismantling Lashkar's leadership.Now, with Hamza in critical condition and Saifullah eliminated, two of Lashkar's most entrenched operatives have been neutralised in the span of a few days, a development that could mark a significant turning point in the terror group's future direction — or disintegration.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Israel set to deport Greta Thunberg, other activists: Israeli Foreign Ministry
'Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian activists have been taken to Tel Aviv airport ahead of their deportation,' the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (June 10, 2025), after the Israeli navy prevented them from sailing to Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday (June 9, 2025), trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg. The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the Foreign Ministry said the activists were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport. 'Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours,' the Ministry said in a statement. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation.' 'Consular representatives from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport,' it added. The activists had been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war. Israel dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. 'The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,' the Foreign Ministry said. Ms. Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her in international waters. "I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," she said in a video that was recorded ahead of the Israeli navy action. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Greta Thunberg's claim of being kidnapped. 'I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,' he said. 'She's a young, angry person ... I think she has to go to an anger management class.' Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
US resumes Harvard student visa processing after judge blocks Trump ban
The US State Department has ordered all United States diplomatic missions and consular offices worldwide to resume processing student and exchange visitor visas for Harvard University, following a federal judge's decision last week to temporarily block President Donald Trump's ban on international students at the Ivy League institution. The directive, issued via diplomatic cable on June 6 and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes in response to a temporary restraining order granted by US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston. The court order prevents the Trump administration's policy from taking effect while further legal proceedings are underway. Harvard lawsuit accuses White House of retaliation The judge's ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Harvard University, which has accused the Trump administration of retaliation, alleging the federal government is punishing the school for resisting attempts to control its curriculum, governance, and ideological stance. US President Donald Trump had cited national security concerns for the visa ban, alleging foreign students posed a threat by engaging in illegal activity, participating in protests, and spying on academic research, referencing FBI warnings on espionage and disinformation. However, the court's intervention has temporarily reinstated Harvard's ability to accept international students. Harvard seeks global support amid visa crackdown at partner institutions both in the US and abroad, including the University of Chicago and London Business School, as contingency plans are developed in the face of ongoing uncertainty. The visa ban had also led to a halt in processing for international students nationwide, introducing stricter social media scrutiny and enhanced background checks. Several students were reportedly detained or had their visas revoked, particularly those suspected of taking part in pro-Palestinian protests. Visa processing resumes, but scrutiny remains Harvard, one of the US' wealthiest and most prestigious universities, has also been hit by other federal actions under the Trump administration, including the freezing of billions in grants and threats to revoke its tax-exempt status. While visa processing for Harvard students resumes under the court order, the State Department clarified that all other policies remain in place, including strict scrutiny of applicants' social media activity and online presence.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Young, Angry Person": Trump Reacts To Greta Thunberg's "Kidnapping" Claim
Washington: US President Donald Trump has branded Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as a "strange" and "young, angry person," with "anger issues". He also slammed the young activist's attempt to reach Israel on board the British-flagged ship "Madleen", which was intercepted by Israeli forces in the early hours of Monday. "Well, she's a strange person. She's a young, angry person. I don't know if it's real anger - it's hard to believe, actually... I saw what happened. She's certainly different," Mr Trump said, supposedly referring to a video that emerged on X (Twitter) showing 22-year-old Thunberg appealing for help from the Swedish government after the boat--operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)-- was captured by Israeli forces. In the video, Thunberg said she was "kidnapped" by Israeli occupational forces, a claim which was dismissed by the Jewish state. The Israeli Foreign Ministry accepted that the "selfie yacht" of the "celebrities" was under its control, but said the vessel was safely making its way to the shores of Israel. "The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. Trump added, "Anger management - I think she has to go to an anger management class. That's my primary recommendation for has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg." Lmao. President Trump says Greta Thunberg needs anger management classes: 'She's a strange person.. A young, angry person ... I think she has to go to an anger management class.' Another classic Trump moment 🤣 — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 9, 2025 The Swedish campaigner was travelling with 11 other activists to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza amid Israel's blockade on necessary supplies. After the ship was seized by Israeli forces in "international waters, the activists on board were reportedly locked in a cell in Israel and will appear in court later today. Trump reportedly had a 40-minute-long phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Following the call, the 78-year-old US leader talked about "other problems" Israel faces, but did not confirm if the topic of Thunberg came up in the conversation. Thunberg gained global recognition after a video of her chastising world leaders at the 2019 UN General Assembly Climate summit went viral. The speech was reported pointed at Trump. She was seen giving a "death stare" to the American leader at the summit. At the time, Trump said Thunberg "seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future."
