26/11 attackers had tried to bleed Mumbai twice before

The group of 10 terrorists, that attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008, had made two failed attempts to strike the city earlier, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley disclosed on Monday.

Deposing before a Mumbai court via a video-link from the US, the Pakistani-American said the attempts were made in September and October that year.

"LeT operative Sajid Mir (Headley's main contact man in LeT) told me that two earlier attempts to attack Mumbai had failed," Headley told special judge GA Sanap during deposition that lasted nearly five-and-a-half-hours.

He said the first attempt was made in September 2008 but it failed as the boat hit some rocks and the terrorists lost all the arms and ammunition into the sea.

"The boat, which started from outside Karachi, disintegrated and people on it had their life jackets on and they came to the shore, while the second attempt was made a month later (in October)," Headley told the court.

The same 10 terrorists of LeT were successful in attacking Mumbai the third time, said Headley, the LeT operative who is currently serving 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks.

Headley also revealed that he visited Mumbai seven times before the 2008 attack and supplied his handlers in the Lashkar with videos and maps of the hotels and other landmarks, that were then attacked by 10 terrorists who sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and split into pairs in their siege of the city.

The deposition of Headley, assumes significance as it may unravel the conspiracy behind the brazen terror strike, which left 166 dead and 309 injured.

The court had on December 10, 2015, made Headley an approver in the case and directed him to depose before the court on February 8.

He had then told special judge GA Sanap that he was "ready to depose" if granted pardon.