The rare admission comes amid a series of mysterious attacks targeting Pakistan-based terrorist operatives
In a rare public admission, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative has claimed that more than 30 members of the Pakistan-based terror outfit have been killed by unidentified gunmen over the past three to four years, highlighting a sustained wave of mysterious attacks targeting militant leaders inside Pakistan.
The statement was reportedly made by Rizwan Hanif, a senior Lashkar functionary, who acknowledged that operatives linked to the outfit had been eliminated across several Pakistani cities since 2020. His remarks are being viewed as one of the clearest acknowledgements from within the terror group about the scale of the unexplained killings.
Pattern of targeted killings
Over the past few years, several high-profile terrorists associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and other Pakistan-based terror outfits have been shot dead by unidentified attackers or killed under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Many of those killed were wanted in India for their alleged roles in terror attacks, recruitment, infiltration and logistics support for cross-border terrorism.
India has rejected allegations
Pakistan has, on several occasions, attempted to blame India for the killings, while some international media reports have carried allegations suggesting Indian involvement. However, the Indian government has consistently rejected such claims and has not acknowledged any role in these incidents.
The latest admission from within Lashkar is nevertheless significant because it comes directly from a senior operative rather than Pakistani officials or external analysts.
Terror infrastructure under pressure
The revelation comes amid India’s intensified counter-terrorism posture against Pakistan-based terror organisations. In recent months, the Centre designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), expanding the legal framework to target their financial and operational networks.
Security experts believe the repeated elimination of senior operatives has disrupted recruitment, logistics and command structures of several Pakistan-based terror groups, even as Islamabad continues to deny the presence of terrorist infrastructure on its soil.
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