26/11: US announces $10m bounty on LeT chief Hafiz Saeed

The US announced a USD 10 million dollar reward for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, giving a major boost to India's fight against the plotters of 26/11 terror attacks.

Saeed is believed to be the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks and is currently roaming free in Pakistan despite the evidence against him.

US under secretary of state for political affairs Wendy Sherman who is on her maiden visit to India told Indian officials that Lashkar co-founder, Saeed's brother-in-law, Abdul Rehman Makki also carries a bounty of USD 3 million on his head.

There is also a USD 25 million bounty on Ayman al Zawahiri, Qaeda's new chief after Osama bin Laden was killed.

With this Saeed joins the ranks of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and the al Qaeda chiefs of Iran and Iraq, all of whom carry a reward of USD 10 million.

Saeed was placed under house arrest in late 2009, after India accused him of being the mastermind of 26/11 attacks. However, the Lahore high court quashed all cases against Saeed and set him free. The court also declared JuD was not a banned organisation and could work freely in Pakistan.