Sayyad Zabiuddin - Mumbai Attacks

Mumbai Attacks

Zabiuddin was the Hindi tutor and handler of the 10 terrorists responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed 165 lives. Zabiuddin is believed to be one of the four LeT men who had come to send off Ajmal Kasab and nine other terrorists from Karachi a week prior they went to Mumbai.

Investigators allege that Zabiuddin Ansari was present in Lashkar’s Karachi based control room during the Mumbai attack. In telephone conversations between the terrorists and their handlers intercepted during the Mumbai attacks, a person speaking with a marked Mumbai accent can be heard instructing the terrorists to make a list of demands to the media. The men inside the control room also issued instructions to the terrorists on operational decisions including killing hostages.

Zabiuddin has claimed after his arrest that LeT chief Hafiz Saeed was also present in the LeT control room from where they had directed the Mumbai attack terrorist incident. Zabiuddin has also said that ISI and Pakistani army officials were involved in planning Mumbai attacks and had attended the meetings. According to him, those present at the control room later celebrated the terrorist attack and was later destroyed by ISI in 2008.

According to him, the coordinated attacks were previously scheduled for 2006, using Indian youth for the job. However, a huge cache of AK-47's and RDX, which were to be used for the attacks, was recovered from Aurangabad in 2006 thus leading to the dismantling of the original plot. Subsequently, Abu Hamza fled to Pakistan and along with Lashkar commanders, scouted for Pakistani youth for the attacks. In September 2007, ten people were selected for the mission. In September 2008, these ten terrorists tried sailing to Mumbai from Karachi, but failed to complete their mission due to choppy waters. The LeT terrorists tried again in November 2008 and managed to execute the final attacks.

He was accused of crimes involving the use of weapons, explosives and terrorism. India had secured an Interpol Red Corner notice against him.