Mumbai 26/11 attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group: Former Pak NSA chief

Pakistan’s former National Security Advisor, Mahmud Ali Durrani, on Monday said that the November 26, 2008 terror attack, in which at least 164 people were killed in Mumbai, was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan.

“I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group in Pakistan is a classic trans-border terrorist event,” he said.

He also added that the mastermind of the attack, Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, Hafiz Saeed has “no utility for Pakistan and strong action must be taken” against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Pakistani government when ten Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

“26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event,” Durrani said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

Durrani added that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as National Security Advisor. Durrani was removed from the post in 2009, a year after the coordinated attacks took place.

It took security forces three days to flush out the terrorists as they launched indiscriminate firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, Leopold Cafe and the Nariman House Jewish Centre.

Nine of the ten terrorists were killed in the skirmish with police and other security agencies. The lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and later hanged in 2012.

New Delhi has provided ample evidence to Islamabad over involvement of top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders in the November 26, 2008 attacks. However, Pakistan has denied all such allegations blaming ‘non-state actors’ for the incident.

With ANI inputs