26/11 Conspirator Tahawwur Rana Admits He Was in Mumbai During Attacks, Claims Links to Pakistani Army

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has reportedly made explosive confessions during interrogation, according to sources. Rana, who is currently in NIA custody at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, admitted to being in Mumbai at the time of the attacks and claimed he was working as a trusted agent of the Pakistani army.

Sources said Rana told the Mumbai Crime Branch that both he and his associate David Coleman Headley underwent several training sessions with Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He also revealed that LeT operated more like a spy network.

Rana allegedly disclosed that the plan to open an immigration centre for his company in Mumbai was his own idea. Financial transactions linked to it were recorded as business expenses, but he admitted the centre played a role in the terror plot. According to sources, he confirmed he was present in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks and was part of the larger plan.

He is also said to have conducted recces of high-value targets such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and believed the 26/11 attacks were carried out with the support of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.

In another revelation, Rana reportedly said he had been sent to Saudi Arabia by the Pakistani army during the Gulf War.

Following his interrogation, Mumbai Police are preparing to formally arrest Rana and take him into custody for further investigation.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was extradited to India earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on April 4. He was brought to India in May and taken into NIA custody. He faces several charges including conspiracy, murder, waging war against India, and forgery.

His judicial custody was recently extended by a Delhi court until July 9.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, one of the deadliest terror strikes in India, left 166 people dead and hundreds injured. Over 60 hours, ten Pakistani terrorists targeted prominent locations including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Jewish centre Nariman House.