Mumbai Attack Suspect Arrested in India

Posted June 25th, 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
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Indian officials say police have arrested a suspect involved in coordinating the 2008 terrorist attacks on the city of Mumbai that killed 166 people.

Authorities say Indian-born Sayed Zabiuddin, who goes by the name Abu Hamza, was detained on June 21 after he arrived in India from the Middle East.

Hamza is an alleged member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the attacks in India's financial hub.

Officials say he was based in Pakistan at the time of the attack on Mumbai and issued instructions by telephone to the 10 gunmen who conducted the assault on luxury hotels, a Jewish center, and a busy train station in Mumbai in November of 2008.

Nine of the attackers were killed. A Mumbai court sentenced the lone surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab, to death for crimes including murder, waging war against India, and terrorism.

India has resumed the peace process with Pakistan after suspending the dialogue following the attacks.

Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna on Monday hailed police for Hamza's arrest and said the government will decide the appropriate follow-up action once the investigation is complete.

The Press Trust of India describes Hamza as a 30-year-old Indian, originally from Maharashtra state.

The news agency says Indian security agencies had interrogated detained terrorists about Hamza and learned he operated out of “terror camps” in Karachi and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the conviction of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba who lives openly in Pakistan and is accused of masterminding the Mumbai attacks.

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