A senior commander of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has publicly alleged that Indian intelligence agencies are responsible for the deaths of more than 30 of its operatives over the past three to four years. In a video recording that recently surfaced, Rizwan Hanif, identified as a deputy chief and commander for the group in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, claimed that these individuals were targeted by what he described as an 'unknown gunman' strategy. Hanif stated that these incidents occurred across several Pakistani cities, including Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, and Rawalakot.
This admission marks a rare instance of a high-ranking member of the organization acknowledging significant losses within its ranks. Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and several other countries, has been linked to numerous attacks in India, most notably the 2008 Mumbai terror siege. For years, the group has operated with relative freedom in parts of Pakistan, though it has faced increasing pressure and internal security challenges.
Pakistan has previously accused India of orchestrating targeted killings on its soil, alleging that Indian agents have been involved in extra-judicial operations against individuals New Delhi considers terrorists. India has consistently rejected these accusations, labeling them as 'false and malicious anti-India propaganda.' The Indian government maintains that Pakistan has long served as a hub for regional terrorism and that it should address its own internal security failures rather than blaming external actors.
While the claims made by Hanif have not been independently verified, they have drawn significant attention due to the specific nature of the allegations. The 'unknown gunman' narrative has been a recurring theme in reports regarding mysterious deaths of militants in the region. As tensions between India and Pakistan remain high, these claims add another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.