Just days after arresting 15 people connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terrorist organization thought to be responsible for the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks, Pakistan said Tuesday that it will not comply with India’s request for the extradition of all suspects, according to Canada.com.
The remarks came after Indian officials, in an effort to put more pressure on Pakistan, released the names, ages and hometowns of 10 Islamic militants suspected to have‚ participated‚ in the attacks. All hometowns named are in Pakistan.
The attacks, according to the Times of India, were “planned, equipped and organised in Pakistan where the terrorists were trained and provided logistical support.” ‚ Their sources also claim that the terrorists did not enter the country by fishing boat, as previously expected. ‚ “The view here is that much more sophisticated means were used.”‚
The allegations, if confirmed, would serve to bolster India’s claim that the attacks came from their rival neighbor.
Pakistan also claimed Monday that it had arrested the “mastermind” behind the attacks on the Pakistani side of the much-disputed Kashmir region. ‚ Their refusal to extradite any of the suspects has India skeptical.
India also announced that it has proof that the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s the largest intelligence service, were‚ involved‚ in the planning and training of the terrorists. ‚
The U.S. is believed to have information that reinforces that claim, some of which they supposedly shared with Indian officials.
Chairman of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen is believed to have said that Washington had enough evidence to show a Pakistani hand in the attack.
U.S. officials said that while there is no hard evidence linking the ISI to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the two have shared intelligence in the past, according to the New York Times. ‚ The Times also says the ISI has provided protection for the‚ terrorist‚ group, one that U.S. officials are saying could be more dangerous than previously‚ believed.‚
While India believes the ISI were complicit, it does not‚ believe‚ that the civilian government in Pakistan was involved in the attack. ‚ Actually, sources say that the civilian government itself may be the target of of an attack in an effort to increase mounting tensions between India and Pakistan.‚
India raised the issue of these attacks, as well as previous terrorist attacks, in a UN meeting Tuesday.
Nearly 180 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the 60-hour standoff with terrorists in Mumbai late last month.
Leave a Reply