Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of the key figures behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has died in Lahore, Pakistan. Reports confirm that Makki suffered a heart attack and was admitted to a hospital in the city, where he passed away on Friday.
Makki was the brother-in-law of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks. In January 2023, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated Makki as a terrorist under its 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, placing him on the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List. This designation imposed asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes against him.
India had long pressed for Makki’s inclusion on this sanctions list, but previous efforts were blocked by China’s vetoes in the Security Council. Despite repeated opposition from China, which has shielded Pakistani terrorist leaders, India, with the support of the United States, succeeded in pushing for Makki’s designation in 2022.
As a senior member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Makki oversaw the group’s political affairs and was involved in its fundraising activities. He was also linked to several terror-related activities. The United States had placed a USD 2 million bounty on his head and designated him a terrorist. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki for terrorism financing and sentenced him to jail.