Last night it was reported that Pakistani forces had raided and seized a camp in the Pakistani-held portion of Kashmir. The relief camp was set up by a charity, but reportedly has been used by the Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) the group accused in last month’s Mumbai terrorist attacks.
It is now being reported that the raid has led to 22 arrests. The detainees were not identified but reportedly included Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi who has been fingered by the lone surviving Mumbai attacker as one of the key planners of the attack. Lakhvi is a founding member of the LeT and the Supreme Commander of operations in Kashmir.
The raid came amid intense pressure from the United States to act “urgently and effectively” against those accused of involvement in the attacks, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reportedly warning the Pakistani government that the US would unilaterally “take care of” the attackers if the Pakistanis did not. The LeT has denied responsibility for the attacks and publicly condemned them.