We are not behind Mumbai terror attacks: Lashkar-e-Toiba

New Delhi, Dec 5: "No we did not execute or plan the Mumbai terror attacks," said Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. He said this in an explosive interview to Outlook magazine. He even said that the Indian authorities are using Pakistan as a 'punching bag' to cover its failures at home.

Saeed believes that India's demand for his extradition is a false attempt by the Indian government to divert the attention of its citizens from their major security and intelligence failure that led to the ghastly Mumbai terror strike. Speaking on Mumbai terror attack he said, "Technically speaking, I'm not authorised to speak for the LeT. I am the Jamaatul Daawa's ameer and have nothing to do with the LeT. But I can say with authority that the LeT does not believe in killing civilians."

Sources say that an LeT spokesman in Srinagar of Jammu Kashmir has denied the group's hands in the terror strikes. He said that these were actually meant to malign LeT's name and obstruct the ongoing struggle for freedom in the Kashmir Valley.

Founded by Hafiz Muhammed Saeed in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, Laskhar-e-Toiba is one of the largest and most active terrorist organisations in South Asia. It is currently based near Lahore of Pakistan. It is learnt that LeT is operating several militant training camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

LeT is banned as a terrorist organization by India, Pakistan, the United States, Britain, European Union, Russia and Australia. Reportedly LeT had renamed itself as Jama'at-ul-Da'wah (JUD) in Jan 2002 to escape the ban imposed by the Pakistani government.