26/11 Mumbai Attack Mastermind Abdul Rehman Makki Dies in Pakistan

Islamabad: One of India's most wanted terrorists and banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy chief Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, died in Pakistan 's Lahore on Friday. Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki is the alleged plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and the brother-in-law of Hafiz Saeed, a designated terrorist by the United Nations. Earlier in 2023, Makki was also designated as a global terrorist by the UN, subjecting him to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

According to reports, he died after suffering a cardiac arrest. 

Makki was also accused of providing financial aide for the 2008 Mumbai Terror attacks which claimed 166 lives. In retaliation, the Indian security forces gunned down a total of nine terrorists while one terrorist, Amir Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive.

Earlier on May 15, 2019 Makki was arrested by the Pakistan government and was placed under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted him in terrorism financing case and awarded him to a jail term. 

News agency PTI, citing Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), reported that Abdul Rahman Makki had been ill for the past few days and was undergoing treatment following high diabetes at a private hospital in Lahore.

"Makki suffered a cardiac arrest early this morning and he breathed his last in the hospital," reported PTI quoting a JuD official.

Makki was handed down six months imprisonment in terror financing in 2020 by an anti terrorism court. Therafter, he had been keeping a low profile. The Pakistan Mutahida Muslim League (PMML) in a statement said that Makki was an advocate of Pakistan ideology.

Abdul Rehman Makki is the head of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (let) political affairs. He  also served as head of LeT’s foreign relations department and member of shura (governing body). He is also a member of JuD’s markazi (central) team and daawati (proselytization) team. Makki was wanted by the Indian government. 

Makki and other LeT/JuD operatives have been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Whilst Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JuD, LeT was held responsible for or had involvements in the following many prominent attacks in India, including one that targeted Red Fort, where six (LeT) terrorists had stormed the historic fort on December 22, 2000, and had opened fire on the security forces guarding the Fort.

He was also involved in the killing of senior journalist & editor-in-chief of Rising Kashmir newspaper, Shujaat Bukhari, and his two personal security officers.

(With PTI inputs)