Abu Saifullah, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative and prominent recruiter, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Pakistan’s Sindh province on May 18. Saifullah was the key conspirator in coordinating terror activities in India and Nepal. These include the 2005 attack on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, the 2006 assault on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, and the 2008 strike on a CRPF camp in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.
Saifullah was known for deploying terrorists disguised in Army fatigues or police uniforms—a strategy that was notably used in all three attacks, according to a source.
Saifullah- Close Aide of LeT’s Launch Commander
According to sources, Abu Saifullah was a trusted associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s launch commander Azam Cheema, also known as Babaji. Originally named Razaullah Nizamani, he was given the name Abu Saifullah when he was assigned to carry out terrorist operations in Kashmir.
Recently, the ISI advised him to limit his movements and even provided him with security details. However, on May 18, Saifullah was reportedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shortly after stepping out of his residence in Matli city, Pakistani police told local media.
After returning from his terror operations in India, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s leadership conferred upon him the title ‘Ghazi’, a term of prestige among jihadis. From then on, he was widely known as Ghazi Abu Saifullah.
According to intelligence dossiers, Saifullah operated under at least nine aliases, one of which was Vinod Kumar. He led LeT’s Nepal module for an extended period, handling recruitment, financial and logistical support, and facilitating the cross-border movement of operatives between India and Nepal. “He frequently used the alias Vinod while operating in Nepal,” the dossier states.
Following his return to Pakistan, he began collaborating with LeT’s chief accountant, Yaqub, and took up fundraising responsibilities for both Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Over time, his role expanded to include recruitment oversight at launchpads, sources added. Saifullah had since settled in Balochistan with his wife.
On June 1, 2006, three terrorists — Afzal Ahmad Butt, Abu Al Kalam Alad, and Usman Habib — were killed while attempting to carry out an attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.
The January 1, 2008, assault on a CRPF camp in Rampur resulted in the tragic deaths of seven paramilitary jawans and a civilian.
On December 28, 2005, two to three terrorists disguised in Army fatigues opened fire at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, killing Manish Chander Puri, a retired professor, and injuring four others in the process.
