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| Bangladesh | ||
| 2 Lashkar-e-Taiba men held inside Indian border | ||
| 2009-11-24 | ||
[Bangla Daily Star] Indian authorities have arrested two top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) men who sneaked into Bangladesh to lead a 15-member commando squad in an attempt to attack the US and Indian missions in Dhaka, sources in the law-enforcement agencies say.
Funds for launching the attacks on the US Embassy and Indian High Commission were being provided by LeT leaders in Pakistan, says an official of Detective Branch on the understanding of anonymity. The sources say T Nasir, wanted in India for a number of terror attacks, is a suicide squad commando. He was supposed to lead the 15-member team formed with five LeT men from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan each. They had planned to launch the attack on November 26, the same day the terrorists carried out the Mumbai attack in 2008. Detectives investigating the plot say T Nasir and Sharfaraz managed to evade arrest during a drive on a hilltop madrasa in Chittagong in early November. The law enforcers however arrested Mufti Harun Izahar, son of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) faction chief Mufti Izaharul Islam, and his associates Shahidul Islam and Al Amin alias Saiful during the raid. High on the hills during the massive manhunt, the two Lashkar men entered India at dead of night and were held by the Indian intelligence officials, says a competent source. The sources add T Nasir was involved in a number of terror attacks including the attack on Bangaluru Computer City, Sramajibi Express in Bihar, India in 2003-04. India-born US citizen David Coleman Headley alias Gilani Daud and Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana were arrested in Chicago in October and Pakistani Abdur Rahman Sayeed in Pakistan in the first week of November. The three had ordered the LeT men in Bangladesh to attack the local US embassy. Following the tips, detectives in Bangladesh started an investigation and foiled the plot. During their efforts they arrested Mufti Harun and his two associates at a hilltop madrasa in Chittagong. The detectives later said Harun had regular contact with the two LeT leaders detained in the United States and the one held in Pakistan. Moreover, tracking Harun's cellphone call list, DB has already arrested three Pakistani nationals -- Mohammad Monwar, Mohammad Ashraf Ali Zahid and Syed Abdul Kaiyum alias Sufian -- having suspected links with LeT. The sources however say only Sufian was involved in coordinating the attack plot and the two other LeT suspects were not involved. The sources also say they have found the three during the hunt for Pakistani national Azmol, who has been leading Pakistani LeT men in Bangladesh. The sources add Azmol and two other Pakistani militants are believed to have already fled from Bangladesh. Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi national Abu Motaleb alias Matu alias Majnu was also arrested recently in the capital. Motaleb, now on a four-day remand, is an Afghan war veteran and was in charge of coordinating the attack on the US and Indian missions. Speaking anonymously, another DB official says Motaleb had close contact with both Harkatul Jihad al Islami and LeT. He took part in a meeting held in Rajshahi for the final decision of launching a suicide attack or blasting a bomb in Hyderabad's The Special Task Force (STF), Hi-tech City, and Bangaluru Computer City, the official adds. Our court correspondent adds: Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members were sent to Dhaka Central Jail with a proposal for 30 days detention order in connection with the US embassy and Indian high commission attack plot. The members are Mufti Harun Izahar, son of IOJ faction chief Mufti Izaharul Islam Chowdhury, and his associates Shahidul Islam and Al Amin alias Saiful. Meantime, Metropolitan Magistrate Munshi Abdul Majid on Sunday granted the three bail even though the prosecution appealed to it saying that the government had earlier on November 18 submitted a petition for giving them detention under the Special Powers Act 1974. The same court yesterday sent the three to jail after detective branch (DB) of police produced them before it with a proposal for a 30-day detention order. DB police re-arrested them on Sunday when they came out of Dhaka Central Jail 18 days of their arrest from Chittagong in connection with the US embassy and Indian high commission attack plot. In his order on Sunday, the magistrate said that the arrestees had been in custody for over 15 days. They were arrested on November 4 and they were placed on a five-day remand in two phases, but police could not extract any information from them. So they were granted bail upon a bond of Tk 10,000 with two guarantors. During the hearing, the prosecution informed the court that the government had on November 18 sent a letter with proposal for 30 days detention order. The prosecution appealed to the court not to grant them bail in the case. | ||
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 WORLD NEWS/TOPIX > INDIAN ARMY CHIEF: OVER 2000 PAKISTANI MILITANTS WAITING TO SNEAK INTO VALLEY [to attack INDJUH via J&K]. INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER A.K ANTONY: MANY MILITANT CAMPS ARE LOCATED NEAR PAK ARMY BASES. IIUC, ARTIC > ISLAMABAD might as well give the Taliban, etc. Militant Groups formal PAK Base priveleges, e.g. EXCHANGE + COMMISSARY. considering how PAK Army + Milits interact. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-11-24 23:29 |