In a startling disclosure, Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal has told investigators that Lashkar-e-Tayyaba has again revived its naval wing in a big way, and was training its cadre at Mangla Dam in Mirpur area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, primarily to target India.
The LeT is known to be the only terror outfit operating out of Pakistan that has a naval unit of its own.
Jundal said that in early 2011 he, along with top Lashkar commanders, had trained a group of eight Indian youth at Mangla Dam to carry out 26/11-type attacks. This time the group was to come through the Gujarat coast in view of the enhanced security along the Mumbai coast.
Further, he said, the LeT deliberately chose only Indians for this mission as Ajmal Kasab’s arrest had caused a lot of embarrassment to Pakistan following the Mumbai massacre.
According to Jundal, the new plan was aborted at the last minute after the ISI intervened: it felt the timing was not right and feared an international backlash if another sensational terror strike took place. Jundal returned to Saudi Arabia after the plan was put on hold.