Kasab says they planned to destroy financial status of Mumbai

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone gunman arrested during November 26 terror strikes in Mumbai, said he and other perpetrators of the attacks planned to target places frequented by tourists in order to destroy the financial status of Mumbai.

According to Kasab, head of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba Amir Hafiz Saeed told them at a training camp that "Indias financial strength is because of foreign visitors. So, to destroy the financial power you have to attack places which are frequented by foreigners and other places as well."

The disclosure was part of the confession read out by special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam to a special court while opening the prosecution's case against Kasab. Kasab had retracted the confession, made before a magistrate in February, alleging it was extracted out of him by police officials through torture.

In the parts of the confession read to the court, Kasab has said they were told they would go to "jannat" (heaven) if they died while on the mission. "LeT operative Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi told us that it was time for jihad and said our community had been fighting in Kashmir for the last 15 years", he said. "Despite that, the Indian government has not freed Kashmir. Now, we have to fight a war with India and claim Kashmir back we were told," Kasab stated.