Lashkar-e-Taiba leader, who prepared terrorists for 26/11 Mumbai attack, dies in prison

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader who trained terrorists to carry out the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai has died while serving a sentence for terror financing in a Pakistani jail.

In the year 2012, the United Nations Security Council designated Abdul Salam Bhuttavi as a terrorist.

Several years later, in a terror financing case in August 2020, he was detained and charged with terror financing by Pakistan and convicted along with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed’s brother-in-law Abdul Rahman Makki.

As per the Hindustan Times report, late on Monday night, Bhuttavi's death was announced by several organisations affiliated with the terror group.

As per the announcements, Bhuttavi died on Monday afternoon in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

According to the reports, he died of a heart attack in a prison in Sheikhupura.

LeT’s front organisations also released a video allegedly showing the funeral of the 78-year-old terrorist that was held at the terror group’s centre at Muridke, near Lahore, on Tuesday morning.

When the US treasury department sanctioned Bhuttavi in September 2011, it said he had been responsible for fundraising, recruitment and indoctrination of LeT operatives for 20 years.

“Bhuttavi...helped prepare the operatives for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks by delivering lectures on the merits of martyrdom. Bhuttavi has issued fatwas authorising LeT/JuD’s militant operations, has instructed group leaders and members, and is responsible for LeT/JuD’s madrassah network,” the US treasury department said in a statement at the time, referring to the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for LeT.

In the year 2012, the United Nations Security Council designated Bhuttavi as a terrorist for being associated with al-Qaeda for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities” by LeT.

“Bhuttavi has served as the acting emir of Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaat-ud-Dawa (LeT/JuD) on at least two occasions.When Hafiz Saeed was detained days after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and held until June 2009,Bhuttavi handled the group’s day-to-day functions during this period and made independent decisions on behalf of the organisation. Saeed was also detained in May 2002,” the Security Council notification said.

US court approves extradition of 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India

A US court has approved the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India. The authorities sought Rana for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

New Delhi was expecting the decisionlast month.Asource-based report mentioned that India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) was preparing to initiate the extradition proceedings against one of the main accused in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in 2008.

India had filed a complaint on June 10, 2020, and had sought the provisional arrest of the 62-year-old with a view towards extradition. The request for the extradition of Rana to India was supported and approved by the Biden Administration.

Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court Central District of California, said, "The Court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the Request, and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing."

The 48-page court order dated May 16 was released on Wednesday.

The judge further wrote: "Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the Court makes the findings set forth below, and CERTIFIES to the Secretary of State of the United States the extractability of Rana on the charged offences that are the subject of the request."

(With inputs from agencies)

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