New Delhi: Intelligence agencies in recent months have detected signs pointing to an attempted revival of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-based terror outfit that suffered major setbacks at the hands of Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor.
Militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have struggled to reorganise due to factors including demoralisation, internal discontent and a declining appeal among youth. However, Lashkar-e-Taiba, long regarded as Pakistan’s most favoured proxy, is now adopting what officials describe as a deliberate strategy of deception to create confusion among Indian security agencies.
At times, the outfit has spoken about forming a women’s wing, while on other occasions it has claimed it would recruit children for early-stage indoctrination and training. In recent weeks, its narrative has shifted towards preparing terrorists for sea-borne attacks against India.
According to intelligence inputs, Lashkar-e-Taiba has delegated this task to the Pakistani Markaz-e-Muslim League, the political front of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). JuD, widely known as the financial arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was responsible for orchestrating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
An Intelligence Bureau official said there was little doubt that Lashkar-e-Taiba is engaging in such activities, but questioned the scale at which the group claims they are being carried out. “These announcements appear to be mind games orchestrated by the ISI to mislead Indian agencies,” the official said.
Public declarations and videos circulating on social media are intended to keep Indian agencies guessing and function as diversionary and deceptive tactics, officials noted. While such claims cannot be dismissed outright, security officials believe Lashkar-e-Taiba currently lacks the capacity to carry out operations on the scale it projects.
“The group is capable of sea-borne attacks, as witnessed in Mumbai, but in the present circumstances it would be extremely difficult for it to execute such plans at a large scale,” an official said.
Another official pointed out that although Pakistan’s ISI continues to funnel resources and funds into Lashkar-e-Taiba, activities are being conducted quietly and on a much smaller scale to avoid provoking another military response from India.
Security agencies say the outfit’s immediate focus remains on recruitment and infiltration. However, infiltration has become increasingly difficult due to heightened border security. Faced with recruitment challenges, Lashkar-e-Taiba has reportedly begun using deceptive methods, including fake banners and posters, to lure youth.
For instance, when initiating sea-borne training, the outfit allegedly put up posters across Pakistan advertising courses in water rescue and swimming under the names of fictitious organisations. Many youths reportedly enrol unaware of the true nature of the training, realising the reality only later. While some drop out, others remain, officials said.
Beyond misleading Indian agencies, such exaggerated claims and announcements also serve Lashkar-e-Taiba’s propaganda goals, aimed at projecting strength and attracting recruits. The outfit has also begun using artificial intelligence to generate fake training videos, showing inflated numbers of recruits. “If ten people are being trained, the video may depict over a hundred,” an official said.
Despite recognising the exaggerated nature of much of the propaganda, Indian agencies remain cautious. “We are aware that much of what Lashkar-e-Taiba puts out is hype, but nothing can be taken lightly,” an official said.
With inputs from IANS