London: Notwithstanding Pakistan`s
assertion that dreaded al Qaeda terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri is
dead, US officials are working on the assumption that he is
"still walking around."
US officials said their working assumption was that he
remained alive despite assurances from Pakistan, `The
Telegraph` said in its report from Kabul.
Earlier, Pakistan`s Interior Minister Rehman Malik had
said he could confirm "100 per cent" that Kashmiri had died
when a Predator drone fired three missiles into a house in
South Waziristan as he and associates drank tea in the garden.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had also
said that the US had confirmed Kashmiri`s death but both
American State and Defence departments insisted they had so
far no confirmation of the killing of the al Qaeda commander.
"It wouldn`t be the first time that reports of his
death have been wrong. We`re simply unable at this time to
confirm reports of Kashmiri`s demise. Our working assumption
is that he`s still walking around," the daily quoted an
unnamed US official.
PTI
