Qaida planned terror attacks in India post-26/11: Headley

Mumbai, February 12 

In more chilling testimony, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today said al-Qaida was in touch with him post-26/11 attacks to target Delhi's National Defence College. He also unravelled the plot by LeT and ISI to target Mumbai airport, BARC and the Naval air station here.

Headley told Special Judge GA Sanap via video-link from the US that he attempted to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, would be interested in future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan here or assassinate its head (late Bal Thackeray).

Continuing his deposition for the fourth day, Headley claimed he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack as the were heavily guarded. Headley told the court here that his handlers in Pakistan spy agency ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the terror attack in November 2008.

“Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack,” he said. He said NDC was a high-value target as it housed senior military officers, from Brigadier to General rank. — PTI