Lashkar-e-Taiba responsible for deaths of hundreds of innocent lives: US

WASHINGTON: Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent lives, including American citizens, the US has said even as it refused to comment on the outfit's leader Hafiz Saeed.

"I'm not going to respond to comments that may have been attributed to him (Hafiz Saeed). He's listed by the UN Security Council or - UN Security Council 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with the terrorist group Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT)," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said.

"Both the LeT and Saeed are designated by the US government. The LeT is obviously responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens," Toner said in response to a question yesterday.

10 LeT terrorists were involved in carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed and around 300 were injured.

While the attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi is living at an undisclosed location after being released from jail on bail a year ago, the other six suspects are in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The case has been underway in the country for more than six years