The US on Monday announced a US$ five million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual who committed, conspired, aided or abetted the 2008 Mumbai attack.
Beginning on November 26, 2008, and continuing through November 29, 2008, 10 attackers trained by the Pakistan-based foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) had carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Café, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatarapati Shivaji Terminus train station, killing approximately 170 persons.
Six Americans were killed during the three-day siege: Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.
#Mumbaiattacks 26/11: a decade after, we continue to mourn those who lost their lives in Mumbai. France stands by India to fight terrorism. The city’s resilience has been an example to the world. Salaam Bombay! pic.twitter.com/rpIZe4XQ4k
— Alexandre Ziegler (@FranceinIndia) November 26, 2018
The Rewards for Justice programme has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information about the individuals responsible for these attacks. Key members of this heinous plot remain at large, and this investigation remains active and ongoing. This reward offer extends to any individual who bears responsibility for this act of terror.
David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana were indicted in a US federal court for their support of LeT terrorist operations. In January 2013, Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani descent, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a dozen federal terrorism crimes relating to his role in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and a subsequent proposed attack on a newspaper in Denmark.
He pleaded guilty in March 2010 to all 12 counts against him, including aiding and abetting the murders of the six American victims. Headley was convicted of conspiracy to bomb public places in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in India; six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in Denmark; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark; and conspiracy to provide material support to LeT. Rana, a Canadian citizen and longtime friend of Headley, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist plot in Denmark and providing material support to LeT.
In June 2011, Rana was acquitted of conspiracy to provide material support to the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, but he was convicted of participating in a conspiracy involving a terrorism plot against a Danish newspaper and providing material support to LeT.
The following suspects also have been indicted in a US federal court: Sajid Mir – served as a “handler” for David Headley and others who were directed to carry out actions relating to planning, preparing for, and carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of LeT.
Major Iqbal – a resident of Pakistan who participated in planning and funding attacks carried out by LeT.
Abu Qahafa – a resident of Pakistan associated with LeT who trained others in combat techniques for use in terrorist attacks.
Mazhar Iqbal, alias Abu al-Qama – a resident of Pakistan and one of LeT’s commander
