We're told to take hostages & make demands: Kasab

Mumbai, Dec 14:

The terrorists, who carried out the dastardly attack in Mumbai, had been instructed by their masters in Pakistan to take hostages and make demands through the media, according to the lone surviving suspect Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab.

Kasab's statement recorded by Mumbai police gives details of the intensive training given to 10 terrorists who killed 183 people when they struck this metropolis on the evening of November 26. Actually 32 young men were trained initially out of which five teams of two each were dispatched for Mumbai from Karachi three days earlier via sea.

According to police sources, Kasab has stated that originally they were instructed to carry out firing at rush hours in the morning between 7.00 and 11.00 am and the same hours in the evening.

The plan was to kidnap some persons and take them to the roof of some nearby building, the 21-year-old resident of Faridkot village in Pakistan's Punjab province has said.

From there, the terrorists were to contact "chacha" (uncle), their trainer whose full name is Zaqi-Ur-Rahman 'chacha'.

The 'chacha' is obviously Zaki-Ur-Rahman Lakhvi, chief of operations of Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT), one of the four persons declared terrorists last week by the UN Security Council, which had also designated Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and two of its sister organisations, Al-Rashid Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust, as terrorist groups.

"After that chacha would give the telephone or mobile numbers of the electronic media. We were then to contact the media persons on the same phone," Ajmal said.

As per 'chacha's' instructions, the terrorists would then make demands for releasing the hostages. This was the general strategy by their trainers.

Police sources said the fact that the terrorist duo that opened fire in the CST station did not take any hostages or make any demands indicates either their plot went wrong or their masterminds might have misled them into believing that once they took hostages they can make demands for their own exit from India.

On that pretext they would have been coaxed into believing that even after they create the mayhem there are chances of their escaping from India.

The date fixed for the operation was September 27 this year. However, the operation was cancelled for some reason. They stayed in Karachi where they made practice of travelling by speed boats on the sea. They stayed there up to November 23, three days before the launch of the attack in Mumbai.

On November 23 the five teams of two each, including Kasab's, left from Azizabad, Karachi along with Zaki-Ur-Rehman and another person.

"We were taken to the nearby sea shore. At 04:15 hours we reached the sea shore. At the sea shore we boarded a launch. After travelling for 22 to 25 nautical miles we met a bigger launch in the sea. We boarded the said launch and after journey of one hour we boarded a bigger ship by name Al-Huseini in the deep sea," says Kasab.

While boarding the said ship each one of them was given a sack containing eight grenades, one A K 47 rifle, 200 cartridges, two magazines and one cell phone for communication. Then they started towards the Indian coast.

Kasab, who had studied up to the 4th standard, intended to be a robber for which purpose he was looking for fire arms, the search that led to Lashkar-e-Toiba stalls at Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi on Bakr-Id.

Following are the excerpts from Ajmal's statement to the police:

--After making enquiries we reached LeT office. In the LeT office we met a person. We told him that we wanted to join LeT. He made some enquiry with us, noted our names and address and told us to come on the next day.

--On the next day we went to LeT office and met the same man. One more person was present with him. He gave us Rs 200 and some receipt. Then he gave us the address of a place called Marqas Taiyyaba, Muridke, and told us to go to the said place where LeT is having their training camp.

--As directed we went to the said place. We showed the receipt given to us at the gate of the camp. We were allowed inside. At the entry gate our details were filled up on two forms. Then we were taken to the actual camp area.

--At the said place we were selected for 21 days training called Daura-Safa, from the next day, we started attending training.

--After completion of the above said training, we were selected for another training called Daura-Ama. The said training was also for 21 days. We were then taken in a vehicle to a place called Mansera, Bhuttal village. At the said place we were given training of all weapons for 21 days.

--After two months of training, I was allowed to go to meet my parents. I stayed with my parents for one month. Thereafter, I went to LeT camp situated at Shaiwainala, Muzaffarbad, for further advanced training. At that place they took my photographs and filled up some forms. Then we were taken to Chelabandi pahadi area for training called Duara-khas. The said training was for three months.

--The training included PT (physical training), handling of all weapons and firing practice of the said weapons, training of handling of hand grenade, rocket launchers and mortars.

--At the said place 32 persons were present for training. Out of these 32 trainees, 16 were selected for some confidential operation by one Zaki-Ur-Rehman chacha. Out of these 16 trainees, three trainees ran away from the camp. The above said 'chacha' then sent the remaining 13 of us along with a person called Kafa to the above said earlier camp at Muridke.

--At Muridke we were taught swimming and getting acquainted with the environment experienced by a fisherman on a sea. We did some experimental tours by launches on the sea. During the said training we were given lectures on working of Indian security agencies. We were shown the clippings highlighting the atrocities on Muslims in India.

--At the camp, again we underwent the training of swimming and getting acquainted with the environment and experience on sea. The training continued for one month. During the training we were given lectures on India and its security agencies including RAW.

--We were also given the training on how to evade the chase by security personnel. We were strictly instructed not to make phone calls to Pakistan after reaching India.

--Victoria Terminus Team. My team included myself and Ismail. Our code name was VTS team. We were then shown the site 'goggle earth' on internet. We were shown the film on VT railway station and the film showing the commuters moving around at rush hours at VT railway station.

--After journey of about three days we reached near sea shore of Mumbai. While we were at some distance from the shore, Ismail and Afadulla killed the Indian seaman (Dandle) at the basement of the said Indian launch. Then we boarded inflatable Dinghi and reached Budwar Park Jetty as per the instructions received earlier.

--After getting down at Budwar Park, I went along with Ismail to VT railway station by taxi. After reaching the hall of VT railway station we, i.e. Ismail and myself went to the common toilet, took out the weapons from our sacks, loaded them, came out of the toilet and started firing indiscriminately towards the passengers.

--Suddenly one police officer in uniform came towards us and opened fire. In retaliation we threw hand grenades towards him and also opened fire.

--Then we went inside the railway station threatening the commuters and randomly firing at them. Then we came out of the railway station and started searching for a building with roof top. But we did not find a suitable building. Therefore we entered a lane.

--When we were coming out of a hospital premises, we suddenly saw one police vehicle passing in front of us. Therefore we took shelter behind a bush. Another vehicle passed in front of us and stopped at some distance.

--One police officer got down from the said vehicle and started firing at us. One bullet hit my hand and my AK 47 dropped down. I bent to pick it up when second bullet hit me on the same hand. I got injured. Ismail opened fire at the officers who were in the said vehicle. They got injured and firing from that side stopped.

--We waited for some time and then went towards the said vehicle. Three bodies lying there. Ismail removed the three bodies and drove the said vehicle. I sat next to him. Our vehicle got punctured near a big ground by the side of the road.

--Ismail got down from the driver seat, stopped a car at the gun point and removed the three lady occupants from the said car. Then Ismail carried me to the car and sat me inside as I was injured. Then he drove the said car.

--While we were moving in the car, we were stopped on the road near sea shore. Ismail fired towards them. Some policemen got injured. Police also opened fire towards us. Due to the police firing Ismail got injured. Then police moved us to some hospital. In the hospital I came to know that Ismail succumbed to the injuries he sustained.

Bureau Report
Your comment(s) on this article
Did the UPA government take a policy decision on the Mumbai terror attacks that the terrorists should not be allowed to make any demands? Did the UPA government want to avoid the predicament that faced the NDA when they had to give in to the terrorists’ demands when they airjacked a plane to Kandahar? Does this mean that the lives of hostages at Nariman House, Taj and Oberoi could have been saved if the UPA government took the NDA route? An enquiry should be gone into this. -K.Venugopal - Mumbai

IT seems FARAZ has not seen the sting operation of GEO TV . THAT IS why he is speaking like this. firsty INTROSPECT your self , then point finger towards India . For the FIRST TIME in Indian history, EVERY country of the world is with India.BECAUSE OF THE TRUE EVIDENSES, INDIA HAS PRESENTED IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE WORLD. -WARRIER OF BHARAT - LUCKNOW

People cannot beleive this stories even in movie form ,but this was a reality written by morons ..... Imagine boys went to indian metroplis by sea as easy as 123 with heavy arms and ammunitions ...lol and they have been instructed by google earth another joke and they walked in the city like hollywood hunks without any resistance by INDIAN police ........ get a life you silly INDIANs,..why these so called pakistani terrorists had to kill the man behind investigation of samjhauta express victims and who caught the real terrorist an indian army official Gen prohit sharma with many religious hindu terrorists ,i am talking about Mr kurkuray and his whole team have been killed at eve of these inside jobs done in mumbai to malign Pakistan ....... answer this .......... -Faraz - Pak

Sure Mr. Hind. Now you see the fate of another so call innoscent terrorist. India is going to hang him through his balls and maybe you also. -Sunil - Sharjah

This is what you get when you torture, kill, murder, innocent people in Kashmir. This is nothing but the backlash India is receiving from the blood of the innocent in KASHMIR. Kashmir cries for Justice. Their blood shall not go waste. God ensures that justice will prevail. India is getting the collateral damage. It is time to repay Bharat Mata. -Hind - India


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