'US will not rest until 26/11 perpetrators are held accountable'

Nathan A Sales, the US Department of State Coordinator for Counterterrorism, has called on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to justice, and said the US will not rest until they are held accountable for their acts.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Indian Embassy in the US to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, Sales outlined the steps taken by the US to reign in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxies' activities. He also mentioned the two rewards for justice that have been issued for the arrest of LeT kingpins Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the masterminds behind the dreaded attacks.

"We must prevent these terrorists who committed the acts of barbarism, Lashkar-e-Taiba, from ever threatening our people again. In the last ten years, we have made a lot of progress. Immediately after the attack in Mumbai, we made sure the international community saw LeT for what it is - a terrorist group and a particularly heinous one at that," he said.

Sales named and shamed Pakistan and called on them to take action against terror outfits. "We call on all countries, particularly Pakistan, to do their part in bringing the perpetrators to justice. All countries must uphold their international obligations to take action against this UN sanctioned terrorist group and its leaders," he stated.

Highlighting the strengthened India-US relationship, Sales asserted that the bilateral ties will not be shattered by terrorism. "It will grow only stronger as our nations expand our security partnerships," he added.

Sales' interview comes after US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, in a show of solidarity with the people of India, announced that the US will reward up to USD five million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual involved in planning or facilitating the 2008 attack.

The attacks that shook India's financial capital lasted over four days and saw terror strikes on iconic landmarks in Mumbai. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Railway Station, Nariman House, Leopold Cafe, Taj Mahal Hotel and The Oberoi-Trident were targetted by the terrorists who came from Pakistan via sea route.

Nine perpetrators were gunned down in counter-terror operations by law enforcement officials, while the lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and sentenced to death at the Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012.

Several police officials were killed in the incident, including Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Chief Hemant Karkare.

Ties between India and Pakistan have remained tense after the 2008 attacks, as India has, time and again, protested against Pakistan for harbouring mastermind Saeed.

Pakistan is yet to complete the trial in the 26/11 case.