Ilyas Kashmiri, also referred to as Maulana Ilyas Kashmiri[1] and Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri[2] (10 February 1964[3] – 3 June 2011[4][5]), was a senior al-Qaeda operative and leader of the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI).[6] He was also connected with the Soviet–Afghan War, the Kashmir conflict and attacks against India, Pakistan and the United States.[7] In August 2010, the US and the United Nations designated him a terrorist.[8][9] NBC News reported that United States officials had mentioned him as a possible successor to Osama bin Laden as head of al-Qaeda.[10]