NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI -- Mohammed Abdul Shahid, better known as Shahid 'Bilal', former chief of HuJI's Indian operations, and alleged mastermind of a series of terrorist attacks since 2005 including the blast at Hyderabad's historic Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007 and the twin Lumbini theatre-Gokul Chat blasts in the same city on August 25 last year, is dead.

Hyderabad's most famous jehadi was shot dead by masked gunmen in Karachi on August 30, 2007, central intelligence sources have told Hindustan Times. The 34-year-old Bilal's elder brother Samad too was killed in the attack.

According to these sources, both R&AW and the IB have been aware of Bilal's death, but have never confirmed it.

Over two dozen of Bilal's associates were arrested by the Hyderabad police last year for their suspected role in the two bombings. Hindustan Times was the first to track down Bilal's home at 16/11/240, Malakpet, one of Hyderabad's Muslim-dominated areas, and speak to his mother, Hafeeza Begum, 61, and sister, Umera Begum, 26.

The story appeared in Hindustan Times's August 30, 2007 edition, the same day that, it now appears, Bilal was murdered.