Osama Mehmood

About

Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to up to $5 million for information on Osama Mehmood, emir of the terrorist group al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

In September 2014, the then-emir of al-Qa’ida (AQ) Ayman al Zawahiri announced the creation of AQIS and named Asim Umar as AQIS emir and Mehmood as AQIS spokesman. Mehmood previously appeared in multiple messages released by As Sahab, Al Qa’ida’s official propaganda outlet.

Mehmood subsequently became leader of AQIS after Umar was promoted to a senior leadership role within the core AQ terrorist group. Born September 2, 1980, Mehmood (also known as Usama Mahmud, Atta Ullah, Zar Wali, and Abu Zar) is a Pakistani national and is believed to be living in Afghanistan.

As part of the AQ network, AQIS provides a communications link between jihadist groups in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan.

The group claimed responsibility for February 26, 2015, machete attack on Bangladesh-born U.S. citizens and married couple Roy and Ahmed, who were visiting Dhaka to attend a book fair. Roy was hacked to death and his wife survived with critical injuries, including a severed thumb and multiple head wounds.

The AQIS Bangladesh branch also claimed responsibility for the April 26, 2016, murder of U.S. Agency for International Development employee Xulhaz Mannan and a friend in Bangladesh.

On June 30, 2016, the Department of State designated AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The department designated core AQ as an FTO on October 8, 1999.

On November 30, 2022, the U.S. Department of State designated Mehmood an SDGT under Executive Order 13224.

As a result of these designations, among other consequences, all property and interests in property of Mehmood that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Mehmood. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to AQ and AQIS.