Failed Times Square bomber was 26/11 mastermind's childhood friend: Officials

Washington, May 7 (ANI): Sources close to the investigations concerning confessed Times Square bomb plotter Faisal Shahzad have revealed that he has claimed that he was childhood friends with one of the masterminds of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed by Pakistani terrorists.

According to ABC News, intelligence sources privy to investigations into the botched bombing plot, Shahzad has claimed that he had contacts with many top notch extremist leaders, such as killed Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, radical American-born Muslim cleric Anwar Awlaki and others.

However, the name of the Mumbai attacks mastermind with whom Shahzad is said to have close relations were not revealed.

Shahzad is also said to be linked to a man named Muhammed Rehan, who is believed to be a Jaish-e-Muhamed (JeM) operative and is in the custody of Pakistani authorities at present.

According to sources briefed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) probe, Shahzad, during his interrogation has revealed that he was angry over the continuous US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas, and that he had suffered a personal crisis in his life.

Shahzad has reportedly said he carried out the attempted bombing because he was under duress and that he feared for his family's safety if he didn't fulfill the mission, sources added. (ANI)