New Delhi: India on Wednesday welcomed an announcement by the US State department which designated three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) and stated that the designations questioned Pakistan’s sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorists.
The designations underline the US-India partnership in counter terrorism efforts which have grown significantly in recent years.
“The announcement vindicates India’s consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and Individuals, including LeT and it’s front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), continue to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan, and use territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in South Asia,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.
“The latest designations also call into question Pakistan’s sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements.”
Among the three named SDGT, was a top LeT operative active in Kashmir, who was once captured in Iraq and handed over to Pakistani authorities. Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil, also known as Danish Ahmad, has been a close associate of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
Al-Dakhil has been designated a global terrorist to deny him to the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, the announcement by the US Department of State said on Tuesday.
“The Department of State has designated Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States,” the US Department of State statement said.
In 2004, al-Dakhil was captured in Iraq by British forces, then held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014, media reports said.
After his release from Pakistani custody, al-Dakhil rejoined the LeT. In 2016, al-Dakhil was a top LeT operative in Kashmir.