Pakistan army trained terrorists, says prosecution at Mumbai trial

Mar 9, 2010, 15:00 GMT

New Delhi - The November 2008 terrorist attack in India's financial hub Mumbai was plotted in Pakistan, sponsored by the state and the gunmen were trained by the Pakistan Army, news reports quoted the prosecution at the trial of the lone surviving gunman as saying Tuesday.

A group of 10 gunmen launched an attack over three days beginning November 26, 2008, on multiple targets in Mumbai including two luxury hotels, a train station, a cafe and a Jewish centre.

By the time the siege ended three days later, at least 166 people, including 26 foreign nationals, were dead.

Indian intelligence agencies claim the gunmen were operatives of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant Lashkar-e-Taiba group (LET).

While nine of the terrorists were killed by security personnel, one, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and is facing trial along with two Indian accomplices.

'The conspiracy of the 26/11 attack was hatched on Pakistani soil and inevitable inference can be drawn that the attack was state- sponsored,' PTI news agency quoted special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam as saying while initiating the final arguments in the trial.

Kasab and the nine other terrorists were given military and intelligence training by LET under the supervision of Pakistan Army officers, he said.

Kasab said in his confession that a major general was present during their training and had supervised them, Nikam added.

'The name of the major general was deliberately not revealed to the attackers as he occupies a senior position in the army,' Nikam added.

The terrorists were all given fake identity cards with Indian names and the planners had directed them not to reveal their true identity and ensure that Pakistan's name did not emerge in the attack, Nikam said.

'To date Pakistan has refused to take responsibility for the attacks and has not yet claimed the bodies of the nine slain terrorists,' PTI quoted Nikam as saying.

Nikam said the two Indian nationals facing trial with Kasab - Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed - were aware of the 'conspiracy' though their role was restricted to preparing maps of the terror targets for the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Kasab faces 86 charges ranging from waging war on India to murder, kidnapping and destabilizing the government. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Nikam told reporters after the day's proceedings that he was confident that the trial would be completed within a month and a half.