Profiles |
In January 2018, a special cell of the Delhi Police arrested Bilal Ahmed Kawa at the Delhi airport. Kawa was accused of being part of the December 22, 2000 attack on the Red Fort in Delhi. The pre-dawn attack, a month ahead of the Republic Day celebration, shook the security infrastructure in the country as it proved that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had acquired the ability to launch attacks right in the heart of India. Kawa played just a small part of that attack. According to Indian law enforcement agencies, the operation was firmed up by the top leadership of the LeT, which included Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy Amir and head of political affairs of the terrorist outfit and its parent organisation, Jamat ud Dawa (JuD).
Makki, a long-time aide of LeT Amir Hafiz Saeed, has been of great operational significance for the organisation. Apart from being a member of the top family of the JuD/LeT (he is Saeed’s brother-in-law), Makki has served as the member of the Shura and a member of the JuD’s central and proselytising teams. His main skill lies in raising funds for the LeT’s operations.
