Who is Sajid Mir, the chief planner behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, who was 'brought back to life' by Pakistan?

After India conducted nine air strikes on terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday mentioned Sajid Mir, one of the culprits behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, during the media briefing.

Misri said, Pakistan also has a well-deserved reputation as a haven for terrorists from around the world with internationally processed terrorist enjoying impunity there.

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In addition, Pakistan has been known to willfully mislead the World and International Forum as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on this issue, said the foreign secretary.

"The Sajid Mir case in which this terrorist was declared dead and then in response to international pressure brought back to life, found alive and arrested, is the most glaring example."

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India's Ministry of Defence said India's action was in direct response to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people and injured several others.

In its statement, the Ministry of Defence stated, "The Indian Armed Forces launched 'OPERATION SINDOOR', hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."

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The strikes have led to heightened tensions with Pakistan and caused major disruptions, especially in northern India, where air travel and military activity have been affected.

Who is Sajid Mir?

Sajid Mir is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Beginning on November 26, 2008, and continuing through November 29, 2008, ten attackers trained by the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, including hotels, cafes, and a train station, killing at least 166 people.

Mir allegedly served as the chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks, as per FBI.

Additionally, Mir also "allegedly conspired to commit a terrorist attack against a newspaper and its employees in Denmark between 2008 and 2009," FBI's website shows.

The Rewards for Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sajid Mir, says FBI.