Washington, March 3 (IANS) The formation of a maritime wing by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) reflects an evolving strategy towards naval operations that could significantly pose a serious maritime terror threat and complicate regional security in the subcontinent, a report said on Tuesday.
According to a report in the US-based ‘Middle East Media Research Institute’ (MEMRI), terror outfit LeT is expanding its operational strategy under a specialised maritime wing, signalling a shift towards sea-based skills and potential operations, while introducing a new dimension to the group’s militant infrastructure.
Citing intelligence and media reports, it stated that LeT, a United Nations-designated terrorist organisation behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has revamped its training framework to incorporate advanced maritime tactical skills. These trainings, the report said, include swimming, scuba diving, water rescue, and motor-boat handling, with systematically organised courses lasting 20 to 40 days for youth aged between 15 and 35.
“While these courses are allegedly presented publicly as disaster-response preparedness and emergency rescue training, security observers indicate that LeT delivers these programmes through its front organisations, such as the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) and the Pakistan Muslim Youth League (MYL). Trainees first hear religious-ideological lectures before being directed toward militant indoctrination,” the report detailed.
“Select trainees are subsequently inducted into the ranks of LeT and PMML, where they reportedly receive weapons training and guerrilla warfare instruction to execute jihadi operations, most likely against India,” it stated.
The programme, the report said, covers scuba diving, advanced swimming, high-speed boat manoeuvring, underwater tactics, and social media strategies.
It added that media reports indicate that LeT is training militants for attacks similar to the November 26, 2008, Mumbai terror strike, in which terrorists used sea routes from Pakistan to target coastal areas.
“The current training mirrors the sea-based infiltration used in 2008, indicating preparation for covert insertion from water to avoid detection. The 2008 attacks involved a few highly trained militants striking multiple high-profile targets simultaneously. Training for ‘underwater tactics’ and boat operations hints at preparing small agile teams for similar multi-location attacks,” the MEMRI report mentioned.
The report highlighted a video featuring Haris Dar, a LeT leader overseeing the training of militants, as well as another commander openly admitting the creation of a maritime force and confirming that LeT and its fronts are conducting the training. Security agencies, it said, considered the footage clear evidence of open recruitment and preparations for terrorism, with maritime wing training reportedly taking place across several locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Courses are conducted in Islamabad, Muridke, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kasur, Alipur, and Karachi, as well as along the Suran River in Poonch, at Mangla Dam in Mirpur, and in Muzaffarabad. Programmes are reportedly supervised by the Pakistan Navy and overseen by senior LeT commanders, including Rizwan Hanif and Amir Zia,” the report noted.
–IANS
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