Top LeT man behind July suicide bombing near Jeddah US Consulate

Saudi security agencies investigating the multiple suicide bombings of July 4th have identified a Pakistani link to one of the bombers.

The suicide bomber who detonated outside the US Consulate in Jeddah was initially identified as Pakistani resident Abdullah Gulzar Khan. However, security officials investigating the bombings have revealed that Abdullah Gulzar Khan was none other than top Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Fayaz Kagzi living in Saudi Arabia.

Fayaz Kagazi had been living in Saudi Arabia for 12 years with a Pakistani passport along with his Pakistani wife, identified as Shazia. Kagazi, and had assumed the fake identity of Abdullah Gulzar Khan.

Fayaz Kagazi was an Indian terror operative wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for a number of terror-related activities carried out by Pakistan's LeT. Fayaz Kagazi was one of the oldest LeT recruits and was handled directly by top ranking members of the terror group based in Pakistan. Recruited in early 2000 by LeT's top commander Yousuf Muzammil and his second in command Abdul Aziz alias Rehan, Fayaz Kagazi is wanted in the Aurangabad arms haul case.

In 2006, Kagazi fled to Pakistan via Iran and proceeded to evolve into a top LeT operative with close links to Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Whilst in Pakistan, Kagazi played an important role in the heinous bombings in Pune's German Bakery in 2010 which resulted in several deaths and injuries.

According to highly placed Saudi security sources, Kagazi's next assignment was Saudi Arabia where he was placed by the LeT at the ISI's behest with a mandate to recruit Indian nationals and for providing logistics to the LeT operatives travelling to Pakistan via Saudi Arabia. Kagazi had close links with another Pakistan-based LeT operative Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, also involved in the Aurangabad arms haul case.

Fayaz Kagazi's new assignment by the LeT leadership was also to carry out subversive activities in Saudi Arabia which culminated in a suicide explosion at a parking lot outside the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah.