Washington/New Delhi/IBNS: In a big diplomatic win for India, the United States Supreme Court has cleared the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Tahawwur Rana to New Delhi, media reports said.

Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, had approached the Supreme Court after losing legal battles in lower courts challenging his extradition order.

Rana has now exhausted all chances to challenge the extradition, which has been long sought by India.

US Solicitor General General Elizabeth B Prelogar had urged the Supreme Court to trash Rana's plea.

Rana was associated with Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist David Coleman Headley, who was one of the conspirators of the terror attack which killed 166 people in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

About 26/11

The 2008 Mumbai attacks also referred to as 26/11 were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai.

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on November 26 and lasted until November 29, 2008. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.

Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai Chabad House, The Oberoi Trident, The Taj Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, The Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College.

There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and a taxi at Vile Parle.

By the early morning of November 28, all sites except for the Taj Hotel had been secured by the Mumbai Police and security forces.

On November 29, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted Operation Black Tornado to flush out the remaining attackers; it culminated in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj Hotel and ended the attacks.