26/11 Mastermind Tahawwur Rana Admits Role as Trusted Pakistan Army Agent; Confirms Presence in Mumbai During Attacks

 Mumbai, July 8 — In a startling development in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks investigation, Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the case, has admitted to Indian authorities that he was a trusted agent of the Pakistan Army and was present in Mumbai during the deadly 2008 attacks that left 166 people dead and hundreds injured.

The revelations came during Rana’s interrogation by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, while he remained in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Rana was extradited from the United States to India on April 10, following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected his final plea against extradition on April 4.

According to investigators, Rana disclosed that he had conducted reconnaissance of several key locations in Mumbai prior to the coordinated assaults by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, one of the primary sites of the carnage. He further claimed that he was in the vicinity of the attacks when the siege unfolded.

Rana also revealed that the LeT was initially established as an espionage outfit, and said that he had earlier been deployed to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, allegedly under the directives of Pakistani military intelligence. His statement implicates deeper institutional links between Pakistan’s security establishment and jihadist networks.

Importantly, Rana identified his close associate, David Coleman Headley, as having conducted terrorist training sessions in collaboration with the banned LeT outfit. Headley, a U.S.-Pakistani national, is already serving a 35-year sentence in the United States for his role in planning and conducting surveillance for the 26/11 attacks under the instruction of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.

Judicial Proceedings Continue

Rana was produced via video conferencing before Delhi’s Patiala House Court, which has extended his judicial custody till July 9. Last month, the court granted permission for a one-time phone call to his family, following a recommendation by the NIA.

The NIA’s charge sheet accuses Rana of conspiring with David Headley to facilitate the Mumbai attacks, including aiding in the procurement of a fake Indian visa to enable Headley’s travel and reconnaissance missions across key urban targets.

As the trial progresses, Indian authorities view Rana’s admission as a significant step forward in establishing the transnational architecture of the 2008 terror plot, which was orchestrated from Pakistani soil but executed with precision on Indian shores.

The latest disclosures may also have geopolitical repercussions, reigniting calls for accountability regarding state-sponsored terrorism and the role of Pakistan’s intelligence services in fostering proxy warfare.