Kashmiri wanted to create Laskhar-e-Osama, target embassies

The new group was plotting a wave of suicide bombings across Pakistan and to target embassies and diplomats, the Express Tribune newspaper reported today.

Kashmiri, who was reportedly killed in a drone strike on June 3, had convened a special meeting in the Data Khel area of North Waziristan Agency a week ago to constitute the special squad.

The head of the fearsome 313 Brigade of the Harkatul Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) called a meeting of several Tehreek-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders to create "Laskhar-e-Osama" which would be tasked with carrying out suicide bombings throughout Pakistan, including some high-profile targets, the daily said quoting reports generated by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Besides Kashmiri, TTP commanders Asmatullah Maavia, Amjad Farooqui and Badar Mansoor among others attended the meeting.

The three commanders were assigned territories to conduct bombings. While Mansoor was tasked with targeting Lahore and southern Punjab, Farooq was told to carry out attacks in Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.

Intelligence agencies were able to collect information about the secret meeting and they were also told that Kashmiri had moved his location away from Data Khel, the daily said quoting sources.