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What Headley told the NIA team during interrogation

June 08, 2010 18:42 IST

The National Investigation Agency team, which questioned Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Headley in Chicago recently, will return on June 9.

The team, which has been investigating the case since the Federal Bureau of InvestigationĀ arrested David Headley in October last year, claims that it is satisfied with the interrogation. "We made him confirm the various links he had with his Pakistani handlers while the Mumbai terror attack was being planned out," said a source.

During the interrogation, Headley has divulged the names of various top ranking Pakistan officials including Major Samir Ali, who had played a very vital role in training the ten Pakistani terrorists who unleashed terror in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Among his handlers in Pakistan, he has named Sajjid Mir as the main person with whom he had stayed in touch.

The Intelligence Bureau says that the information the probe team has received from Headley is similar to the facts that he has revealed to the FBI. The LeT operative has been cautious in his answers and ensured that he didn't give contradictory responses.

Sources point out Headley's statements will be used to probe his links with the Mumbai terror attack case further.

The NIA has managed to procure some details regarding Headley's local links. He has been questioned about his contacts in Mumbai who helped him in conducting the reconnaissance of the terror targets.

Headley has also told his interrogators about conducting a survey of Nariman House in south Mumbai, which was attacked by LeT terrorists during the terror siege.

Headley also confirmed his close links with dreaded terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri, and told interrogators that they had planned on carrying out more terror strikes. The NIA team wants to probe the terror plan drawn up by Headley and Kashmiri further. Investigators will try to find out how the duo was planning to carry out the attacks and the likely targets of such strikes.

Vicky Nanjappa