David Coleman Headley, a self-confessed key plotter of the Mumbai terror attack, wanted an assignment in Kashmir after completing training in Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's (LeT) camps there.
But he was not given his favourite assignment as the Lashkar leaders wanted to use him for something else, according to court documents released during the ongoing trial here of Pakistan-born Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana. The documents say Headley began attending LeT training camps in Pakistan in February 2002 and by December 2003 had attended five separate courses.
His training courses included Lashkar's philosophy, use of weapons and grenades, combat tactics, survival skills and counter surveillance methods. After completing training in several camps, Headley became acquainted with a senior member of Lashkar, Zakir Lakhvi ("Zaki"), who was responsible for Lashkar's military operations, the documents say.
Headley was anxious to be assigned an operational assignment in Kashmir, but Zaki told him he was saving him for a different assignment. In July 2004, Headley attended a leadership course with Lashkar senior and junior leadership, prosecutors said. During that course, Zaki made a presentation regarding the killing of an Indian citizen who accepted money from Lashkar, but was then believed to have provided information about Lashkar activities to the Indian military. Zaki showed a computer animation depicting how the killing was carried out.