(Image source from: The Independent)

The United States, on the tenth anniversary of the 26/11 attacks on Monday, has offered a reward of USD 5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual who was involved in planning or facilitating the assault.

A total of 166 people, including American nationals, were killed after 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists unleashed a wave of violence in Mumbai in 2008. Nine of the attackers were killed by the police whereas lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was arrested and hanged after he was handed a death sentence by a court.

"It is an affront to the families of the victims that, after ten years, those who planned the Mumbai attack have still not been convicted for their involvement," the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "We call upon all countries, particularly Pakistan, to uphold their UN Security Council obligations to implement sanctions against the terrorists responsible for this atrocity, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and its affiliates."

"We stand with the families and friends of the victims, whose loved ones were lost in this act of barbarism, including six American citizens. The barbarity of 26/11 shocked the entire world," he said, expressing solidarity with the survivors of the attack.

The United States, Pompeo said, it is committed to seeing that those accountable for the attack face justice.

The announcement was the third such cash reward made available by the Department of State Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program. "The United States is committed to working with our international partners to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attack," it said.

Earlier the department had announced a reward of $10 million for LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and $2 million for Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, another senior leader of the group.

The State Department said anyone with information on this incident can contact the RFJ office via the website, e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), phone (800-877-3927 in North America), or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). Individuals may also contact the Regional Security Officer at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. "All information will be kept strictly confidential," it said.

The announcement comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's meeting in Singapore, during which Pence is believed to rued that perpetrators of Mumbai terror attack have not been brought to justice even after ten years.

-Sowmya Sangam