Even as Pakistani authorities have all along denied any involvement in the November 2008 (‘26/11’) Mumbai terrorist attack, Interpol, the Paris-based global police network, has issued an arrest warrant against two serving Pak army officers, among others, for their alleged role in masterminding the operation.
Apart from the two officers, Interpol’s arrest warrant names three other Pak nationals, one of them a retired army officer. The terrorists had killed around 170 people in the attack.
The international ‘red corner’ notices were issued on the basis of information provided to the US National Investigating Agency (NIA) by Pak-American national David Coleman Hadley, who had allegedly provided logistical support to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) to carry out the attack.
The NIA had earlier sent the interrogation report of Hadley to a Delhi court, which had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the accused. Indian investigators were allowed to interrogate Hadley in June this year in Chicago.
The Pak nationals named in the warrant are Major Sameer Ali, Major Iqbal, retired Major Abdur Rehman Hashim, Illyas Kashmiri and Sajid Mir. Earlier, Interpol had issued similar arrest warrants against Hafeez Saeed, the chief of LeT, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Abu Hamza, allegedly involved in planning and executing several terrorist strikes in this country.
Senior officials of the ministry of home affairs said the names of all eight accused against whom Interpol notices have been issued were mentioned in the dossiers the government had given to Pakistan. Sources said Headley, during his interrogation, had helped the investigators identify the Pakistanis on the basis of the voice samples recorded during their conversation with the 10 LeT terrorists who attacked in Mumbai.
Headley had also told Indian investigators he was in constant touch with Major Iqbal, who had given him $25,000 for coming to India and visiting places where attacks could be carried out. He had visited India in August 2006. Headley had also identified the voice of Abu Hamza, the man who had planned and coordinated the entire Mumbai attack.
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The American national had also told his Indian interrogators that retired Major Abdur Rehman of the Pak army, now an LeT operative, was also involved in training of the 10 terrorists.
Meanwhile, India has also given evidence to Interpol against LeT commanders Zarar Shah and Abu al Qama, so that similar notices could be issued against them.