In launch edition of online magazine, LeT warns Army in J&K of 'tough 2018'

New Delhi: Within a week after the Ramzan ceasefire came to an end in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has warned the Indian Army and other occupational forces in the state of a “tough 2018”.

In the first issue of its online magazine ‘Wyeth’, LeT says that it was “helping the common man’s struggle” in Kashmir.

‘Wyeth’ is online propaganda magazine of Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT, headed by Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

The launch edition of the Kashmir-specific magazine list out the number of attacks carried out by the terror outfit LeT in 2017. It also carried an interview of Dr Abdullah Ghaznawi, the spokesperson of LeT.

Ghaznawi also spoke about LeT not being a "proxy" of the Pakistan army and said: "LeT is the common man's struggle. It represents true aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir people”.

Speaking about the favours of Pakistan army, Ghaznawi said that the word “proxy” is an “obsolete” and states that there are many countries in the world with “less divine faith” and “high military numbers” and use proxies, but Pakistan army is capable of handling any issue which comes to them.

Ghaznawi adds that Pakistan has “moral and legal” obligation to support the “struggle” in Kashmir, which is an “unfinished” agenda of partition.

Talking about other fringe terror groups Ghaznawi said they do not have a clear agenda and often misled into helping India and its cause. “We have been distributing literature based on Quran and Hadith to show these groups actually are misled (sic) people and helping the Indian cause,” says Ghaznawi.

How Indian Army reacted to LeT’s warning and claims:

Reacting to LeT’s claim in the first issue of ‘Wyeth’ and Indian Army officer said it was extremely necessary to deal with such elements to bring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. “Dealing with this kind of online propaganda and building a counter-narrative is necessary to bring normalcy in the Valley,” an Army officer was quoted saying by Hindustan Times.

A retired IPS officer, who served as former Intelligence Bureau special director and dealt with Kashmir issue while in service, said that LeT is trying to engage more local boys into militancy and the online magazine is the best way to reach out to youth in the valley. “LeT has always been tech-savvy outfit. It is trying to rope more local boys into militancy and these prospective recruits are proficient in use of social media. Therefore, an online magazine is best way to reach out to them in the Valley,” retired IPS officer Arun Chaudhary told Hindustan Times.