LeT plotting assassination of Kashmiri separatists: report

New Delhi: Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and his Kashmir ‘operations-in-charge’ Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi have reportedly fallen out with each other, leading to problems in the top rung of the organisation.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, intelligence inputs received by Indian agencies suggest that LeT terrorists are also planning to assassinate separatist leaders in the Kashmir Valley to foment further unrest there.

The report says that LeT has also decided not to use its own name to carry out terror attacks in India in the future. It has instead passed on instructions to use the name ‘Quit Kashmir Movement’ in its press releases to give an impression that ‘indigenous groups’ in India are involved.

According to intelligence documents, the LeT leadership has decided to “not use its name in its actions in Kashmir and actions will be given more and more colour of being carried out indigenously by the indigenous groups”, said the report.

This, coupled with a spurt in the number of youth joining militancy and an increase in terrorist infiltration attempts of late, has alarmed the Indian security establishment.

“Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi has got certain issues with 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who is presently under detention. Reportedly, Lakhvi has shifted most of his loyalists to PoK. Inputs reveal that Lashkar has decided to not use its name in its actions in Kashmir,” the intelligence sources said.

However, they said the reasons for the rift between the two terrorists are not known.

Meanwhile, another terror group, Tehreek-e-Mujahideen (TeM) has been revived in the Valley, said the report quoting intelligence sources.

Terrorist Bilpapa, who was earlier in Central Jail in Moulana Showkat murder case and is presently on bail, has enabled the group to resurrect, 6 years after it had disowned him.