‘Trusted by Pakistan Army, helped in 26/11’: What Tahawwur Rana revealed in NIA custody
Tahawwur Rana revealed that both he and his friend David Coleman Headley received training sessions with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, currently in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody, has reportedly confessed to being an aide in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and playing an active role as a “trusted agent” of the Pakistani Army.
Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national and former Pakistan Army captain, was extradited to India on April 10 for his role in the deadly attacks. He is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail and has been interrogated by both the NIA and the Mumbai Crime Branch.
‘Received training with LeT, surveyed Shivaji Terminus’
Tahawwur Rana revealed during questioning that both he and his childhood friend David Coleman Headley received multiple training sessions with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), India Today reported, citing unnamed sources. He also claimed that the LeT functioned primarily as an intelligence-gathering organisation.
HT.com couldn't immediately verify the development.
Rana also reportedly admitted that he was present in Mumbai during the 26/11 attacks and that this was an integral part of the terrorists' broader plan.
Rana's alleged confessions came regarding the deadly Mumbai attack on 26 November in 2008. Ten Pakistani terrorists carried out a series of attacks across Mumbai that resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including civilians, foreign nationals and security personnel.
During a nearly 60-hour-long siege, the terrorists targeted prominent landmarks across the city, including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel, the Jewish Centre and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
According to the news channel's sources, Rana told investigators, “He inspected places like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and believed that the 26/11 attacks were carried out in collaboration with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).”
The 64-year-old further claimed he had previously been sent to Saudi Arabia during the Khaleej (Gulf) War on instructions from the Pakistani army.
Rana has been charged by the NIA with conspiring alongside LeT and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) operatives—both banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—and other Pakistan-based handlers.
He is accused of helping Headley conduct surveillance of Mumbai targets, which was critical to the planning of the 2008 attacks.
