U.S. Department of the Treasury

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated two of Pakistan's most wanted terrorists: Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LJ) senior leader Amanullah Afridi for acting for or on behalf of LJ and LJ chief operational commander Mati ur-Rehman for acting for or on behalf of LJ and al-Qa'ida. Treasury today also designated a third individual, Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior leader of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM), for acting for or on behalf of JEM. 

 

LJ and JEM are both Pakistan-based terrorist organizations.  LJ has conducted numerous attacks in Pakistan and is the group responsible for the January 2002 kidnapping and killing of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl.  LJ was designated by the United States pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 in January 2003, by the UN 1267 Committee in February 2003 and was also designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the State Department in 2003.  JEM, which has conducted attacks in India and Afghanistan, was designated in October 2001 by the United States pursuant to E.O. 13224, by the UN 1267 Committee and by the State Department as an FTO in 2001. Today's designations were taken pursuant to E.O. 13224, which prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction.
 
Today's actions strike at the heart of two terrorist organizations responsible for deadly attacks against innocent civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. All three of today's targets are actively involved in leading or planning operations on behalf of these dangerous terrorist organizations.

 

The chief of LJ and one of Pakistan's most wanted terrorists, Amanullah Afridi has been a key figure in directing terrorist-related activities of LJ for several years.  As of November 2009, Afridi was the leader of a Karachi-based LJ group and, as of June 2009, the chief of LJ. Afridi is involved in numerous terrorist activities in Pakistan. He has prepared and provided suicide jackets for al-Qa'ida operations, trained suicide bombers and trained the assassin of Pakistani cleric Allama Hassan Turabi.

 

One of Pakistan's most wanted terrorists, Mati ur-Rehman is the chief operational commander of LJ and has also worked on behalf of al-Qa'ida. In September 2009 he was identified as a planning director for al-Qa'ida and was linked to the August 2006 plot to destroy U.S.-bound British aircraft. As a leader of LJ, Rehman has been involved in multiple terrorist activities. He has led militants seeking to carry out attacks in Pakistan and was involved with a militant training camp in Pakistan. Rehman has also been implicated in plots or attacks against a former Pakistani president, a former Pakistani prime minister, and the U.S. consulate in Karachi.

 

Abdul Rauf Azhar is a senior leader of JEM.  As a senior leader of this terrorist organization, Azhar has urged Pakistanis to engage in militant activities. He has served as JEM's acting leader in 2007, as one of JEM's most senior commanders in India, and as JEM's intelligence coordinator.  In 2008 Azhar was assigned to organize suicide attacks in India. He was also involved with JEM's political wing and has served as a JEM official involved with training camps.

 

Identifying Information:

 

Individual:     
AMANULLAH AFRIDI
AKA:               Mufti Ilyas
AKA:               Aman Ullah
AKA:               Amanullah Urs
AKA:               Muhammad Aman Gul
DOB:             1968 – 1975
Address:       Frontier Region Kohat, Pakistan

 

Individual:           
MATI UR-REHMAN
AKA:                 Mati-ur Rehman
AKA:                 Mati ur Rehman
AKA:                 Matiur Rahman
AKA:                 Matiur Rehman
AKA:                 Matti al-Rehman
AKA:                 Abdul Samad
AKA:                 Samad Sial
AKA:                 Abdul Samad Sial
DOB:               1977
Nationality:      Pakistan

 

Individual:           
ABDUL RAUF AZHAR
AKA:               Abdul Rauf Alvi
AKA:               Abdur Rauf Azhar
DOB:              1974
POB:               Bwawal Pur (likelyBahawalpur), Pakistan