US designates LeT commander Abdul Rehman as global terrorist

The United States has designated Lashkar e-Taiba commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil, who till recently was LeT's divisional commander for the Jammu region, as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist". He has been named under various aliases including Danish Ahmad and Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil.

A longtime member of the US designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation, LeT, Dakhil was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001. In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by UK forces, then held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014. After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for the LeT. In 2016, Dakhil was the LeT divisional commander for the Jammu region. As of early 2018, Dakhil remained a senior commander in the LeT.

"Today's action notifies the US public and the international community that Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism," the State Department said.

He is a longtime Lashkar operative from the Bahawalpur area of Pakistan's Punjab province and was LeT's operational lead for its campaign of violence in India between 1997 and 2001.