Mumbai Attack Carried Out By Pakistan-Based Terror Group, Says Ex-Pak NSA

Hafiz Saeed has no utility, we should act against him, former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani said. (File photo)

The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is a classic trans-border terrorist event, former Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani has admitted. He was speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held in New Delhi.

The former NSA to Pakistan also named Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, saying, he "has no utility, we should act against him."

In November 2008, 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of 12 coordinated attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on 26 November and lasted until 29 November, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308.

One of the terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive by the police and later hanged in Pune's Yerwada jail in secret on 21 November 2012. The Indian mission in Islamabad informed the Pakistan government about Kasab's hanging through a letter, which Pakistan refused to take. His family in Pakistan was sent news of his hanging via a courier.

India has maintained that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in the country. On 7 January 2009, Pakistan confirmed the sole surviving perpetrator, Ajmal Kasab, of the attacks was a Pakistani citizen.

Speaking at the event earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar called on Asian countries for action against terrorism, describing it as the "most pervasive and serious threat". "Terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to global security while threat of terror is transnational. The response doesn't seem so," he said.