India's anti-terrorism agency charges LeT founder Hafiz Saeed over Kashmir attack

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charges against Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in connection with an attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir last year. The assault resulted in the deaths of 26 people and intensified conflict between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi asserts that the attackers were Pakistani nationals supported by Islamabad, a charge Pakistan has refuted, calling for an independent investigation. Indian forces reported killing three militants they identified as Pakistanis involved in the attack last July. The NIA had previously charged LeT, its affiliate The Resistance Front (TRF), and six individuals in December over the incident.

Saeed is facing charges both individually and as the chief of LeT and TRF. The NIA stated that the charges include "details of Pakistan’s conspiracy," Saeed’s alleged role, and supporting evidence obtained through scientific and on-ground investigations. Pakistan's foreign and interior ministries have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Saeed, who founded LeT around 1990, is also implicated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. He has been incarcerated in Pakistan since 2020, serving a sentence for terrorism financing convictions.