26/11 Mumbai Attacks Mastermind Azam Cheema Dies of Heart Attack at 70 in Pakistan
Mumbai, 2nd March 2024: Azam Cheema, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and a senior commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group has passed away at the age of 70 in Faisalabad, Pakistan, due to a heart attack. Cheema played a significant role in orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the July 2006 train bombings in Mumbai, resulting in the death of 188 people and injuries to over 800 individuals.
The U.S. Department of Treasury has identified Cheema as a ‘key commander’ within the LeT, noting its connections to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network. LeT has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. since December 2001 and by the UN Committee since May 2005.
Intelligence sources describe Cheema as an elusive, Punjabi-speaking, bearded, and well-built LeT operative who resided in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, during the early 2000s with his wife and two children. Often seen in a Land Cruiser with six bodyguards, Cheema was instrumental in bringing key figures like former ISI chief General Hamid Gul, Brigadier Riyaz, and Colonel Rafiq to brainwash jihadists in Bahawalpur.
Known for his expertise in map reading, especially in India, Cheema instructed LeT terrorists on identifying vital installations on maps. He also communicated with LeT operatives across India through satellite phones in the mid-2000s.
In 2008, Cheema served as the LeT commander for Bahawalpur, and later, he became an operations advisor to Lashkar’s senior functionary, Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi. He played a crucial role in planning and executing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, providing training to recruits involved in the operation.
