Dynamite News 16 Years After 26/11, Key Conspirator Extradited to India, answers remain inconclusive
Tahawwur Rana, key 26/11 plotter and David Headley's aide, has been extradited from the US to India. His interrogation may expose Pakistan's role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166. Read more at Dynamite News.
New Delhi: After 16 long years, the US finally extradited Tahawwur Rana, a prime accused of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. According to Dynamite News correspondent, the 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin landed in Delhi on a special flight from Los Angeles Thursday evening. A court immediately handed him over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 18 days of questioning.
Who is Tahawwur Rana?
He is a former Pakistan Army Medical Corps officer who ran an immigration consultancy firm in the US. Rana was a close associate of David Headley, the main 26/11 plotter, he helped Headley get a 10-year Indian visa for reconnaissance and allegedly set up a sleeper cell in Canada.
Rana was not just a facilitator, he was a crucial link between Pakistan’s ISI (spy agency), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists and David Headley, who scouted attack sites in Mumbai.
"He was the bridge," said a security source. "ISI couldn’t talk directly to Headley—Rana was their middleman."
What Will NIA Ask Him?
His exact role in the 26/11 attacks
Also Read |
From Doctor to Terrorist: The unholy Journey of Tahawwur Rana
Who else was involved (including ISI handlers)
How terrorists entered India via sea route
Details on LeT chiefs like Hafiz Saeed & Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi
The Uniform Phobia
Rana, despite being a doctor by profession, had a strange infatuation with the Pakistan Army’s dress. According to Dynamite News correspondent, he intermittently wore the uniform during clandestine meetings with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, including co-conspirator David Coleman Headley (alias Javed).
From Medicine to Terrorism
Rana’s journey from army doctor to terror recruiter is expedient. He served as a medical professional in the Pakistan Army. Later, he joined Lashkar-e-Taiba’s political wing, controlled by 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, connected with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), another Pakistan-based terror group. He also played a key role in devising attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes.
Rana, despite being a doctor by profession, had a strange infatuation with the Pakistan Army’s dress. According to Dynamite News correspondent, he intermittently wore the uniform during clandestine meetings with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, including co-conspirator David Coleman Headley (alias Javed).
Also Read |
US Supreme court clears decks for 26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana's extradition to India
From Medicine to Terrorism
Rana’s journey from army doctor to terror recruiter is expedient. He served as a medical professional in the Pakistan Army. Later, he joined Lashkar-e-Taiba’s political wing, controlled by 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, connected with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), another Pakistan-based terror group. He also played a key role in devising attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes.
The 26/11 Attacks: A Quick Recap
On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Nariman House Jewish Center, etc. The 60-hour siege killed 166 people and brought India-Pakistan to the brink of war.
What’s Next?
Rana’s interrogation could expose Pakistan’s direct role in the attacks and reveal names still hiding abroad.