Mahmoud Mohamed Ahmed Bahaziq | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1943 |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabia |
| Other names | Abu 'Abd al-'Aziz |
| Known for | |
Mahmoud Mohamed Ahmed Bahaziq (17 August 1943,[1] Hyderabad) is an Indian-Saudi jihadist. He became known by his nom de guerre Abu 'Abd al-'Aziz after leading one of Bosnia's early mujahideen groups. Bahaziq is subject to United Nations Security Council sanctions for funding Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[2][1]
Bahaziq was born to a Hadhrami couple in Hyderabad, in the Indian subcontinent.[3] When he was ten, the family moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they received Saudi citizenship.[4] Bahaziq graduated from high school in Syria in 1967.[4] He later was employed by Saudia Airlines. He married his wife Azza in 1973.[5]
In the 1980s, Bahaziq became interested in the Afghan jihad. He travelled to a training camp in Pakistan run by Osama bin Laden. He fought in Afghanistan in 1988 and came back to Pakistan, where he met members of Ahl-i Hadith movement. At that time, he became involved with the Islamist terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).[6]
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Main article: Bosnian mujahideen |
During the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Bosnia War erupted in April 1992. The same month, the Afghan War ended, and some mujahideen leaders decided to continue the jihad in Bosnia.[7]
Bahaziq was one of the early movers. He and four other militants travelled to Zagreb, Croatia, to meet contacts and parted to Travnik in central Bosnia where they joined a new Muslim militia. During his participation in the Bosnia War, he adopted the kunya Abu 'Abd al-'Aziz as his nom de guerre.[7]
In December 1992, Bahaziq left Bosnia and became proselytize and fundraise for the global jihad, travelling through the Arab world, the United States and the United Kingdom.[8]
In the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the United Nations Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee added Lashkar-e-Taiba to its sanctions lists. Later that year, Bahaziq was also listed as a financer of Lashkar-e-Taiba.[2][1]