"As President Trump Has Said...": US On Tahawwur Rana's Extradition To India

The US on Thursday said they were "very proud" that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, has been extradited to India.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was extradited from the US on Wednesday and reached Delhi on Thursday evening. The 64-year-old is accused of playing a key role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans, and were carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana after he arrived in Delhi

"On April 9, the United States extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face justice for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks," US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a media briefing in Washington.

"Some people watching may not remember these, but I encourage you to look them up and to find out exactly how horrible this was and the importance of the situation today," she said, adding that the attack "shocked the entire world".

The US has long supported India's efforts to ensure those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, Ms Bruce said.

"As President (Donald) Trump has said, the United States and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism. He is in their possession and we are very proud of that dynamic," she added.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in February, President Trump confirmed the extradition of Rana to India.

The US is giving a "very violent man" back to India "immediately", he said during a joint press conference with PM Narendra Modi at the White House on February 13.

"There are more to follow because we have quite a few requests. So, we work with India on crime, and we want to make it good for India. So that kind of a relationship is very important to us," Trump said.

The US Department of Justice said that Tahawwur Rana's extradition is a “critical step toward seeking justice” for the six Americans and other victims who were killed in the "heinous" attacks.

"The United States on Wednesday extradited convicted terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai," the US DoJ said in a statement.

Tahawwur Rana Sent To Anti-Terror Agency Custody

A special flight carrying Tahawwur Rana landed in Delhi last evening after he exhausted all legal avenues to stop his extradition. He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and taken to a local court. He was then sent to the custody of the anti-terror agency for 18 days.

In a statement, the NIA said it "successfully secured the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, after years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem to justice."

He has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government of India, murder and forgery under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Rana, arrested by US police in 2009, is accused of conspiring with his long-term friend and Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the US for terrorism-related charges linked to the Mumbai attacks and a planned assault on a Danish newspaper.