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Indian police name new suspect in Mumbai attack probe | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari listens to a question during a news conference in Istanbul, December 5, 2008 (REUTERS)


Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari listens to a question during a news conference in Istanbul, December 5, 2008 (REUTERS)

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari listens to a question during a news conference in Istanbul, December 5, 2008 (REUTERS)

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Indian police on Tuesday identified for the first time a fifth suspect in their probe into the attacks that killed 171 in Mumbai, and released the names and pictures of the nine gunmen shot dead in the three-day assault.

The new suspect was arrested in February along with Indian-born Fahim Ansari, who was caught carrying maps that highlighted a number of the city landmarks that were hit in the assault, lead Mumbai police investigator Rakesh Maria said.

The man, whom police identified only as Sabauddin, has languished in a jail in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with Ansari since they were arrested for an attack on a reserve police camp. “We have got a transfer warrant for Fahim and will be getting a warrant for Sabauddin tomorrow or on Thursday so we can bring them here for questioning,” Rakesh Maria told reporters.

Investigators want to question them about their links to homegrown Islamist militant groups and the Mumbai attacks.

Two others have been arrested for helping the gunmen get mobile phone cards, and the sole surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, has been in custody since the attacks. “What we have learned from Kasab is they were told: open random fire, kill as many people as you can, take hostages, then go to a vantage location and stay put,” Maria said.

Maria on Tuesday also identified the nine gunmen that were killed and released pictures of eight of them. One was burned too badly, so his picture was withheld, he said.

Each of the 10 gunmen was armed with about a dozen grenades, a 9 mm pistol with two magazines, one AK-47 assault rifle with about seven magazines and 100-150 rounds of ammunition, he said. “They called themselves fidayeen squads,” he said, referring to the term for uicide attackers.

On Monday, Maria said investigators had traced the hometowns of all 10 to various places in Pakistan.

India has said that Pakistanis were responsible for the attack, and demanded Islamabad take action for what it says is the latest anti-India attack launched from Pakistani soil.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said raids on militants carried out in the past few days showed Islamabad was serious about catching those responsible.

Policemen stand guard beside Indian Muslims praying to mark of Eid al-Adha on a busy road in Mumbai December 9, 2008 (REUTERS)

Policemen stand guard beside Indian Muslims praying to mark of Eid al-Adha on a busy road in Mumbai December 9, 2008 (REUTERS)

Indian Muslims pray together to mark Eid al-Adha on a busy road in Mumbai December 9, 2008 (REUTERS)

Indian Muslims pray together to mark Eid al-Adha on a busy road in Mumbai December 9, 2008 (REUTERS)