ISLAMABAD – “The son of former Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General (r) Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani was abducted and then released in return of two daughters of al-Qaeda chief Dr Aymen al-Zawahri and another woman,” claimed world’s most notorious terrorist organisation al-Qaeda.
According to the US-based Long War Journal, the claim has been published in the latest edition of pro al-Qaeda magazine al-Misra. However the information could not be verified independently.
Dunya Today, while mentioning the publication of the same al-Qaeda magazine, said that Pakistan Army was not initially ready for the exchange, however, the deal was reached after long rounds of negotiations.
The two daughters of al-Zawahri were identified as Ummaiya al-Zawahri and Fatima al-Zawahri. They were married to two key al-Qaeda commanders named Abu Dajana al-Bashar and Abu Baseer al-Rooni. The third woman was named Summaiya Marjan Saleem.
The report added that the exchange of the detainees took place during the last days of July or the start of August. The al-Qaeda women were sent to Egypt, the native country of al-Zawahri.
Meanwhile, Urdu daily Nawaiwaqt reported that the son of General (r) Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani was never kidnapped and that the daughters of al-Zawahri were also not released.
The newspaper said that al-Misra magazine carried no credibility and the reports could be part al-Qaeda’s propaganda campaign.