Terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a US drone strike in northwest Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region late Friday night,  it was confirmed by his militant group, "Harkatul Jihad al-Islami", on Saturday.

""We confirm the martyrdom of our leader Ilyas Kashmiri in US. drone strike," Abu Hanzala, a spokesman for the militants, said in a hand-written statement sent to local media, the Dawn and Express TV channels reported.

The strike was on on a compound in Gwakhwa, not far from Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. Kashmiri had recently returned to South Waziristan from another part of the tribal areas, the BBC reported.

Kasmiri was one of the most wanted militants by Pakistan and the United States. He was connected with the Soviet-Afghan war, the Kashmir conflict and attacks against India, Pakistan and the United States. In August 2010, the US and the United Nations designated him a terrorist. NBC News reported that United States officials had mentioned him as a possible successor to Osama Bin Laden as head of al-Qaeda.

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