India has no confirmation that top al-Qaeda linked militant, Ilyas Kashmiri, a key planner behind the Mumbai terror attack, was killed in a targeted US drone strike in Pakistan.
Government sources said New Delhi has contacted several friendly countries asking about the authenticity of the reports which suggested that Kashmiri, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and wanted in India for his role in the terror acts, was killed.
"No one has confirmed his killing yet. Indian intelligence agencies also have not been able to corroborate the report," a source said.
Since Indian agencies are trying to verify the reports from different sources, a confirmation - either way - about Kashmiri's fate is expected within a day or two.
Yesterday, Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs U.K. Bansal said Kashmiri was wanted in India for criminal conspiracy and his prime agenda was to harm India.
47-year-old Kashmiri, a former Pakistani army commando, on whose head the US had put a price of USD five million, was killed when a predator drone fired four missiles Friday night at a compound in Ghwakhwa area of South Waziristan.
His outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami confirmed his death in faxed messages to TV channels in Islamabad.
BBC Urdu service broke the news first yesterday.