Lashkar menace for India not expected to diminish

Islamabad: The militant group that orchestrated attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai a year ago remains an implacable Indian foe and could strike again despite the best efforts of the government to rein it in.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba emerged from the embers of the Islamist battle against Soviet occupiers in Afghanistan in the 1980s and began fighting Indian forces in the disputed Kashmir region in the early 1990s.

While its network has spread globally, as shown by the recent arrest of suspected operatives in Chicago and Italy, its focus remains India, said people with knowledge of the group.

"I don't know whether they'll carry out another attack like Mumbai, but for sure they won't leave India in peace as long as Kashmir is not resolved," said a former group member.

"Their goal is Kashmir freedom. It's the priority. They still pray for the freedom of Kashmir every time they finish their prayers," said the former member who is still involved in Islamist causes and who declined to be identified.

Abdullah Muntazir, a former member of the charity linked to Lashkar, said the group had never considered attacks in Pakistan.

Muntazir, who is now an analyst on Islamist issues, said the authorities had closed many Lashkar training camps after the Mumbai attack but that had had a limited impact.

Security analyst Mahmoud Ali Durrani said the authorities wanted to wind up Lashkar but the priority was to focus on groups attacking the state.

"They have to go after the people creating the biggest problem for Pakistan," said Durrani, a former general and national security adviser.