Thaindian News

Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 20 (IANS) Website Google Earth was used by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists to plan their attack on the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) post in this Uttar Pradesh town on Jan 1 this year, according to disclosures to police by arrested terrorist Fahim Ansari, who is suspected of helping in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.The website was used by the LeT militants to plan out their attack on the CRPF post in the early hours of Jan 1, using Pakistan-made hand grenades and other sophisticated weapons, investigators said.

Police had recovered detailed maps of Rampur and Mumbai city’s layout from Ansari. The Mumbai maps found on Ansari were similar to those recovered from the killed terrorists in Mumbai, the sources said.

Ansari and his accomplice, Sabauddin alias Saba, are in transit remand with the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) for probe into 26/11.

Their interrogation revealed how adept the terrorists are at using Google Earth to plan attack details.

The terror kingpins prepared maps of the targets from their operational dens and the terrorists after decoding the message of their mentors, proceed on terror missions.

When one logs on to Google Earth one gets search options and after typing India and Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), the map of the city appears on the screen. On downloading one can see pictures of the Raza Library from different angles, besides the complete history of the monument by scholars of European and Arabian countries. Even the photographs of the militants arrested in connection with CRPF camp’s attack appear on the screen. According to official information, authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are worried over the website contents.

The district administration and the intelligence agencies have taken serious note of the website and beefed up security arrangements at all the points included by militants in their search of Google Earth to prevent any further terror attacks.