The former IB Special Director said Pakistan plans to attribute the 26/11 attack to “dissatisfied Indian Muslims”.

Ashok Prasad, former special director of the Intelligence Bureau. File | Image source: Hindu

Pakistan plans to attribute the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008 to the background of a carefully planned rural attack by the Indian Muslims and Indian Mujahides (IM), which is controlled by Karachi and with Lashkar-ee-taiba (Let taiba is taibaud Is tak issed issed issed prosed prosed ass and tak hip parak issed issed issed assed assist side hearsed assist prossist and the side side side side hearsed assist issed, the bureau (IB) told Hindu.

The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai refocused after the extradition of Tahawwur Rana last week. Rana is a Canadian-U.S. citizen who opened an immigration center in Mumbai as cover for the mission of the principal defendant David Coleman Headley, currently under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NIA). The attack was carried out in Pakistan with the help of a video produced by Headley. The dual agent of the U.S. authorities and the dual agent of the Pakistani ISI have conducted a plea deal with the U.S. government to protect him from extradition to India.

Watch | Tahawwur Rana Extradition | Justice on 26/11 is closer?

IM carried out continuous explosions nationwide from 2007 to 2013. “The attack revealed the true hydra-headed nature of global state-sponsored jehadi terrorism. Thus, Pakistani agencies were able to motivate Pak-American citizen David Coleman Headley through the LeT in Pakistan, facilitate his movement and travel from Canada through Tahawwur Ra​​na, recce targets across India, routing movement through Nepal and Bangladesh, collecting and collating target data in Karachi,” Mr. Prasad said.

He said the 10 terrorists were recruited and extensively trained in Pakistan and provided input to IM elements. “The attack was initiated by the ocean, communicated through communication nodes in New Jersey and funded and coordinated from Spain and Italy,” he said.

The former Indian Police Department (IPS) official said that if it weren’t for Mumbai police officer Tukaram Omble, he overwhelmed one of the terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, that the true nature of the operation and the extent of Pakistan’s participation could have been uncovered.

Also Read | 26/11 accused of sending Tahawwur Rana to 18 days of NIA custody

Indian ID file

“The 10 Pakistani terrorists who carried the 26/11 attack had Indian identity documents… according to the ISI’s plan, the claim was to be made in the name of Deccan Mujahideen, basically with the intention of attributing the entire attack to an Indian group. The intention was to portray India as an unsafe investment destination, due to instability and violent backlash arising out of persecution of minorities,” he said.

The official added that if Kasab was not alive, the entire plot would not be disclosed.

Watch | India’s Counter-terrorism diplomacy after 26/11 attacks

“The United States knows Hadley, and they conveyed the message in a piecemeal way. The violin (the inflatable ship used in the terrorist attack) comes from Japan and is transported to Karachi. If it weren’t for his entire stage, in the initial stage, some Western institutions in India, the biggest hero is Tukaram Omble, we don’t have the entire stage. Pakistan shows up in front of the whole world, they are quarantined.

At least 166 people were killed in the 26/11 terrorist attacks, including six Americans.