▁ 4 8 , ▁was ▁the ▁target ▁of ▁a ▁suic ide ▁attack ▁by ▁two ▁Arab s ▁pos ing ▁as ▁journal ists ▁at ▁Kh w aja ▁Bah aud din , ▁in ▁the ▁Tak har ▁Province ▁of ▁Afghan istan . ▁Mass oud ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁taking ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁hospital . ▁The ▁fun eral , ▁though ▁in ▁a ▁rather ▁rural ▁area , ▁was ▁attended ▁by ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁m our ning ▁people . ▁ ▁The ▁assass ination ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁Al - Q a eda , ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁the ▁Pak ist ani ▁I SI , ▁and ▁before ▁them ▁the ▁Soviet ▁K GB , ▁the ▁Afghan ▁Commun ist ▁K H AD ▁and ▁He k mat yar ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁assass inate ▁Mass oud . ▁He ▁surv ived ▁count less ▁assass ination ▁attempts ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁years . ▁The ▁first ▁attempt ▁on ▁Mass oud ' s ▁life ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁He k mat yar ▁and ▁two ▁Pak ist ani ▁I SI ▁agents ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁when ▁Mass oud ▁was ▁only ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁old . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Al - Q a eda ▁would - be ▁assass ins ▁were ▁captured ▁by ▁Mass oud ' s ▁forces ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁enter ▁his ▁territory . ▁▁ 9 / 1 1 ▁connection ▁ ▁The ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Mass oud ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁strong ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0