Terrorists out to create mayhem

The group has repeatedly claimed through its journals
and websites that its main aim is to destroy Indian
republic and annihilate Hindus. Also, it identifies
India, Israel and USA as the main centres of
infidelity and according to the Laskhar they must be
destroyed to promote spread of Islam.

No doubt, one has to pat the intelligence agencies
that they averted a major tragedy by thwarting the
attack on RSS headquarters in Nagpur a few days ago.
But, it is a bitter reality that Pakistan born
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba has dangerous plans for India. An
intelligence source monitoring Lashkar activities in
Jammu and Kashmir for the past couple of years stated
that the planned attack at RSS headquarters might have
been thwarted but several modules of LeT are waiting
to strike the nation.

The group that started its operations initially in
Kashmir now has spread its tentacles in rest of India.
In fact, the group has executed nearly half a dozen
major attacks on temples and busy markets in different
parts of India in the past one year.

The outfit has over 35 separate modules spread across
the country, sources said. Jaki-ur-Rehman Laqvi is the
commander-in-chief of Lashkar but the operations in
India are under the control of Abu-Alkama. Lashkar has
its operational bases in Nepal, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. A military source
here stated that nearly 100 terrorists in seven
separate batches have crossed over to Jammu and
Kashmir in May and are based in north and south
Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Anantnag. And the
fact was substantiated when on June 6, an infiltration
bid was thwarted, eight out of 12 terrorists were
killed along LoC in Machail sector of Kupwara.

Another major accomplishment on June 5 was the expose
of war like stores from a cave in heights of Gurez
sector in Kashmir along Line of Control. The
ammunition was meant to be sent through the higher
reaches of Gurez onwards for the terrorists groups
operating in the region. The cache comprised of 14
AK-47/56 Rifles, 6000 rounds of ammunition, one Radio
Set, eight UBGL, 30 Magazines, 8 kgs of RDX &
Explosives, 17 IEDs and a large quantity of remote
switches, timing devices, packed and stored in seven
rucksacks.

Army Public Relations Officer, Colonel V.K Batra said
that the ammunition was large enough to cause massive
destruction in the coming months in state. ?Many more
incursions could be expected in coming days since the
snow is melting on higher reaches,? said the colonel.

Lashkar is also believed to have scores of supporters
inside Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujrat,
Hyderabad, mostly poor and illiterate Muslims
indoctrinated by radical mullahs.

The banned Indian Muslim student wing?Student Islamic
Movement of India (SIMI) also sympathises with
Lashkar. The group has repeatedly claimed through its
journals and websites that its main aim is to destroy
Indian republic and annihilate Hindus. Also, it
identifies India, Israel and USA as the main centres
of infidelity and according to the Lashkar they must
be destroyed to promote spread of Islam.
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba had links to Jama’at-ud-Da’wah,
however Jama’at-ud-Da’wah publicly retracted any
association with them after the United States
Department of State declared it to be a terrorist
organisation. Pakistan denies giving orders to its
activities, though there have been several alleged
instances of top Pakistani government officials
visiting the headquarters of this group.

Guantanamo detainee Khalid Bin Abdullah Mishal Thamer
Al Hameydani’s Combatant Status Review Tribunal said
that he had received training from Lashkar. Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf banned the group along with
four other Islamic groups, in January 2002, amid
pressure that followed the 9/11 attacks in the US. By
mid-2002 it had renamed itself Jama’at ud Dawa. The
massive earthquake in the both parts of divided
Kashmir in October 2005 has also affected its
fortunes.

Since then, the group has again been allowed to openly
collect funds in Pakistan, officially for
reconstruction work. Many of their offices have
reopened and its members have played a prominent role
in rebuilding work. Unlike most other Kashmir
terrorist groups, a majority of its members are
non-Kashmiri, and its headquarters are also based in
Pakistan.