Police say Mumbai terrorist wants to write a letter to parents

New Delhi - The lone terrorist captured in the Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasav, wants to write a letter to his parents in Pakistan saying he was "misled" by the terrorist group, Indian media reported Tuesday.

"He (Kasav) expressed his desire to write a letter to his parents. He wants to write the letter saying he was misled by the group," Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria told the CNN-IBN news channel.

"Kasav told us this two days ago and we are examining it," he added.

According to the Mumbai police, Kasav, who hails from Pakistan's Punjab province, was a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. He was among the group of 10 terrorists who killed 172 people in multiple attacks in Mumbai beginning November 26.

Kasav was on his first terrorist mission when he was caught by the police. Nine others were killed by commandos in different operations in the city, including at luxury hotels and a Jewish centre.

Meanwhile, Indian police said they uncovered more evidence on the attackers while questioning Kasav.

The police had established the real identities of the 10 terrorists, all of whom were from Pakistan, the NDTV network reported.

While three of them were from Okara, three were from Multan, two from Faislabad, and one each from Sialkot and Dera Ismail Khan, the police said.

Indian claims of the involvement of Pakistan-based militants to the Mumbai bloodshed increased tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have gone to war three times since their 1947 independence from Britain.

Islamabad has vowed to take action against those behind Mumbai attacks, if and when India provided evidence for the allegations.

Pakistani security forces have already arrested the alleged planner of the Mumbai attacks in a raid on a suspected militant camp outside Muzaffarabad city, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistani media and officials said Monday.

Media reports identified one of the six people detained as Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhwi, who was named by Indian officials for planning the grenade-and-gun strikes in Mumbai.

Indian newspaper reports said that Lakhwi, a top LeT commander, is believed to have personally seen off the 10 attackers to Mumbai from the Azizabad locality in Karachi on November 23.

The Times of India newspaper reported Lakhwi and LeT's India operations chief Yusuf Muzammil remained in touch with the 10 terrorists as they executed the Mumbai carnage. (dpa)

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