The United States on Sunday announced a reward of up to $5 million (around Rs 35.2 crore) for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual involved in planning or abetting the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme will offer the reward, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement ahead of the 10th anniversary of the attacks on November 26.
This is the third reward offer set out by the programme, said the State Department. In April 2012, it had announced rewards for information about Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and senior leader Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki.
Anyone with information on the attacks can contact the Rewards for Justice programme office through email, website, telephone, or mail. Individuals can also contact the Regional Security Officer at the nearest US embassy or consulate, the department said.
Pompeo also called upon Pakistan to uphold its obligations to the United Nations and implement sanctions against those responsible for the attacks, including terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliates.
“It is an affront to the families of the victims that, after 10 years, those who planned the Mumbai attack have still not been convicted for their involvement,” he said. “We call upon all countries, particularly Pakistan, to uphold their UN Security Council obligations to implement sanctions against the terrorists responsible for this atrocity, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and its affiliates.”
The US is committed to seeing that those responsible face justice, said Pompeo. “On behalf of the government of the United States of America and all Americans, I express my solidarity with the people of India and the city of Mumbai on the 10th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attack,” he said. “The barbarity of 26/11 shocked the entire world.”
The State Department designated the outfit as a Foreign Outfit Organisation in December 2001. In May 2005, Lashkar-e-Taiba was added to sanctions list of the UN Security Council.
At least 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the terror attacks carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, nine of whom were killed by the police. Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving gunman, was given the death sentence and hanged.
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