'Mumbai attackers were trained in paramilitary courses'

The 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by highly trained terrorists who were given training in paramilitary courses by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US attorney has said.

The 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by highly trained terrorists who were given training in paramilitary courses by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US attorney has said.

HT Image

"...this (Mumbai attack) was, in fact, the handiwork of highly trained terrorists who had gone through the LeT paramilitary courses," US Attorney Neil H MacBride said in a submission to a US District court in Virginia, which sentenced 24-year-old Pakistani national Jubair Ahmad for aiding LeT.

Ahmad was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment on Friday for providing material support to LeT by making a propaganda video for the terror group, helping it with recruitment and fundraising.

Based in US for the past few years, Ahmad had himself received two levels of LeT training and was in regular communication with Talha Saeed, the son of the LeT founder Hafiz Saeed.

"For years before his arrest, Ahmad engaged in trade-craft to conceal his activities on behalf of LeT. He used coded language, avoiding talking openly about LeT, and he maintained the lowest possible profile," MacBride said.

Though based in US, the purpose of Ahmad was to incite violence against India in particular Kashmir.

Ahmad "advocated violence, almost exclusively against the Indian army in Kashmir."

Once he completed the first two levels, Ahmad was interested in the third stage, Dora Khasa or the "advanced course," but was denied permission as he was too young skinny.