M A I N   N E W S

India puts face on 26/11 masterminds
* Releases details of 5, images of 3
* Says all, including a serving Pak Major, based in Pak
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, May 9
Days after the US charged four Pakistani nationals for allegedly plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, New Delhi today released photographs and details of five masterminds.

While three pictures have been released - those of Sajid Mir alias Sajid Majeed, Abu Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu Alqama — that of Major Iqbal, believed to be serving in the Pakistan Army, has been “held back” for now. The fifth conspirator is referred to as Lashkar member “D” since neither is his name known, nor is his picture available.

Mounting pressure on Pakistan, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that all the conspirators were based in the neighbouring country. Two of them also have a base in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, less than 20 km from the Line of Control. The area is also notorious for training camps for young terrorists who infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian investigators had named Major Iqbal along with another Pakistani Army officer Major Sameer Ali as the brain behind the Mumbai terror strikes. On New Delhi’s request, Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against them. The dossier was handed over during the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks on February 25, 2010 in New Delhi.

The dossier has the addresses of the suspects, their roles in the attack besides their links with arrested terrorists David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, both lodged in a Chicago prison.

According to available details, 35-year-old Major Iqbal, who hails from Sargodha, was handling Headley on behalf of ISI for the Mumbai attack. According to the Indian dossier, he was posted in Lahore from 2007 to 2008 and gave Headley $25,000 and fake Indian currency to carry out surveillance operations in India. Headley would give all surveillance videos first to Major Iqbal and then to the LeT. The man identified as Lashkar Member “D” is believed to be the overall operational commander of the LeT after the arrest of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. He had been planning the Mumbai attacks since late 2005 and was instrumental in recruitment and training the 10 terrorists who executed the carnage.

Another key man is Sajid Majeed, better known as Sajid Mir. He has two more aliases — Wasi and Ibrahim - and has a passport with the name of Mohd Arshad Awan. About 35 years old, he was the key planner of the Mumbai attacks and LeT’s main handler of Headley. Mir provided financial and logistic support to Headley for surveying targets for the Mumbai attacks. He personally trained and briefed the 10 terrorists who carried out the attacks. He was possibly present in the Lashkar control room in Karachi during 26/11 and the Government of India has asked for his voice samples from the Government of Pakistan.

Another man named today is Abu Qahafa. The arms and explosives expert trained the 10 men to read global positioning systems. New Delhi has evidence that both he and Sajid Mir were present in the LeT control room during the 26/11 attacks.

Last on the list is Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu Alqama, a senior LeT commander. He was also present in the Lashkar’s Karachi control room when the attackers left for Mumbai. He exhorted the attackers over the phone to kill more and more people. “During the course of the attacks, the attackers were advised to, among other actions, to kill hostages, set fire and throw grenades. Sajid Mir also sought to arrange the release of a hostage in exchange for the release of a captured attacker,” the US indictment alleged.

Mazhar Iqbal has been arrested and chargesheeted by Pakistan in the case registered by them in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks.