Lashkar-e-Taiba

**Lashkar-e-Taiba** (**LeT**;  ; literally *Army of the Pure*, translated as *Army of the Righteous*, or *Army of the Good* and alternatively spelled as *Lashkar-e-Tayyiba*, *Lashkar-e-Toiba*, *Lashkar-i-Taiba*, *Lashkar-i-Tayyeba*) is a Pakistani Islamist Salafi jihadist organization. Its primary stated goal is to integrate all of Kashmir into Pakistan. Founded in 1985–1986 by Hafiz Saeed, Zafar Iqbal Shehbaz, Abdullah Azzam, and other Islamist mujahideen with financial support from Osama bin Laden

## Objectives 
LeT’s primary operational focus is the Kashmir Valley, but its ambitions extend beyond challenging India’s control over Jammu and Kashmir. The group views the Kashmir issue as part of a broader global struggle. It aims to liberate Kashmir to use it as a base for conquering India and imposing Muslim rule across the subcontinent.

According to C. Christine Fair, who has studied LeT’s propaganda since 1995, the group consistently denounces a perceived "Brahmanic-Talmudic-Crusader" alliance of Hindus, Jews, and Christians, which it claims seeks to undermine the Ummah.

LeT follows the South Asian Ahl-e-Hadith (AeH) tradition, considered Salafist. LeT’s goals include establishing Islam globally, enforcing jizya on non-Muslims, avenging Muslim deaths, punishing treaty violations, defending Muslim states, and reclaiming lost Muslim territories. It views all lands once ruled by Muslims as rightfully Muslim, advocating a pan-Islamist approach to military action.

Unlike other Pakistan-based Salafi-jihadist groups, LeT publicly rejects sectarian violence against other Islamic sects. Revelations from Abu Jundal, extradited to India by Saudi Arabia, suggest LeT plans to revive militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and execute major terror attacks in India.

## Leadership
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed – LeT founder and *amir* of its political wing, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Saeed denied ties between JuD and LeT, stating: "No Lashkar-e-Taiba man is in Jamaat-ud-Dawa, and I have never been a chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba." On 25 June 2014, the U.S. designated JuD as an LeT affiliate.

Abdul Rehman Makki – LeT’s second-in-command and brother-in-law of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed until his death. The U.S. offered a $2 million reward for information on Makki’s whereabouts.

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – senior LeT member, released on bail from Pakistani military custody. Identified as a key planner of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. On 18 December 2014, two days after the Peshawar school attack, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court granted Lakhvi bail against surety bonds of Rs. 500,000.
Yusuf Muzammil – senior LeT operative, named by surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab as a mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Shah reportedly boasted to Pakistani investigators about his role in the attacks.
Muhammad Ashraf – LeT’s top financial officer. Though not directly linked to the Mumbai attacks, he was added to the UN list of terrorism sponsors post-attacks. Geo TV reported that Ashraf fell seriously ill in custody and died on 11 June 2002 at Civil Hospital.

Mahmoud Mohamed Ahmed Bahaziq – LeT’s leader in Saudi Arabia and a financier. While not directly tied to the Mumbai plot, he was added to the UN list of terrorism sponsors after the attacks.

Abu Nasir – Srinagar commander.

Zafar Iqbal – co-founder and senior LeT leader.

On 5 December 2001, LeT was added to the U.S. Terrorist Exclusion List. On 26 December 2001, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell designated LeT a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

India lists LeT as a terrorist group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Australia designated LeT a terrorist organization under the *Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002* on 11 April 2003, with renewals on 11 April 2005 and 31 March 2007.

On 2 May 2008, the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 committee added LeT to its Consolidated List as an al-Qaeda-associated entity, also proscribing JuD as an LeT front. Terrorism expert Bruce Riedel argues that LeT, with Pakistani backing, poses a greater threat than al-Qaeda.

### Aftermath of Mumbai Attacks
The U.S. identified JuD as a front for LeT, the primary suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which involved training the 10 gunmen.

On 7 December 2008, under U.S. and Indian pressure, the Pakistani army raided an LeT *markaz* at Shawai Nullah, 5 km from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, arresting over 20 LeT members, including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged Mumbai attacks mastermind. The facility, including a madrasah, mosque, and LeT offices, was sealed.

On 10 December 2008, India requested the UN Security Council to designate JuD a terrorist organization. Pakistan’s UN ambassador, Abdullah Hussain, assured that upon the Security Council’s designation under Resolution 1267, Pakistan would proscribe JuD, freeze its assets, and take other required actions. In 2002, Pakistan had similarly restricted LeT, but covertly allowed it to operate as JuD. Despite arrests, Pakistan has denied foreign investigators access to Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

On 11 December 2008, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on JuD, declaring it a global terrorist group. Saeed vowed to challenge the sanctions. Pakistan banned JuD the same day, ordering its offices sealed across all four provinces and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Prior to the ban, JuD published a weekly newspaper, *Ghazwah*, two monthly magazines, *Majalla Tud Dawaa* and *Zarb e Taiba*, and a fortnightly children’s magazine, *Nanhe Mujahid*, all of which were subsequently banned. JuD’s websites were also shut down.

After the UNSC ban, Hindu minority groups in Hyderabad rallied in support of JuD, citing its charity work like establishing water wells and providing food to the poor. However, the BBC questioned the rally’s authenticity, noting protesters were handed JuD support signs en route to what they believed was a protest against price hikes.

In January 2009, JuD spokesperson Abdullah Muntazir claimed the group had no global jihadist ambitions and supported a peaceful Kashmir resolution, disowning LeT commanders Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah, accused of orchestrating the Mumbai attacks.

According to Stephen Tankel in 2011, Pakistan resists dismantling LeT because it refrains from attacking within Pakistan, preserving domestic stability. Additionally, the Pakistani army and ISI view LeT as a reliable proxy against India, providing strategic leverage. Tankel notes that dismantling LeT would primarily benefit India, leaving Pakistan to bear the costs. In August, JuD, under the party’s banner, fielded Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh as an independent candidate for the 2017 by-election in Constituency NA-120.

The party’s registration was rejected by the ECP on 12 October. Hafiz Saeed, released from house arrest on 24 November, announced in December that his organization would contest the 2018 elections.

### Name Changes
Following the Pulwama attack in February 2019, Pakistan reimposed a ban on JuD and its charity arm, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). To circumvent the ban, they rebranded as Al Madina and Aisar Foundation, continuing their operations.

### The Resistance Front
The Resistance Front (TRF) emerged after the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Indian police later identified it as an offshoot of Jaish-e-Muhammad. Formed during the 2019 Kashmir Protests following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy, PAFF has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Indian forces in Kashmir.

### Influence in Kashmir
After the Mujahideen victory in the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan, LeT and Mujahideen fighters, with Pakistan’s support, infiltrated Kashmir to promote a radical Islamist ideology and wage Jihad against Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir.

### Publications
Christine Fair notes that LeT, through its publishing house Dar al Andalus, is likely Pakistan’s most prolific producer of *jihadi* literature. By the late 1990s, its Urdu monthly *Mujallah al-Dawah* had a circulation of 100,000, and another monthly, *Ghazwa*, reached 20,000. Other publications include weekly and monthly titles for students (*Zarb-e-Tayyaba*), women (*Tayyabaat*), children, and English (*Voice of Islam* and *Invite*) and Arabic (*al-Ribat*) readers. LeT publishes around 100 booklets annually in multiple languages, described as a “profitable department” selling lacs of books yearly.

### Training Camps
LeT’s terrorist training camps are located across Pakistan, including the base camp, Markaz-e-Taiba, in Muridke near Lahore, and another near Manshera. These camps train militants in:

A 21-day religious course (*Daura-e-Sufa*)

A three-month advanced combat course (*Daura-e-Khaas*)

Since their inception, these camps have been tolerated by Pakistan’s ISI due to their utility against India and in Afghanistan, though by 2006, they were instructed to halt operations. French anti-terrorism expert Jean-Louis Bruguière, in *Some Things that I Wasn’t Able to Say*, stated that Pakistani army officers trained LeT militants until recently, based many on interrogations of Willy Brigitte, a French militant trained by LeT and arrested in Australia in 2003.

#### Markaz-e-Taiba
Located in Nangal Saday, 5 km north of Muridke on the eastern side of the G.T. road, about 30 km from Lahore, the Markaz-e-Taiba base camp was established in 1988. Spanning , it includes a madrasa, hospital, market, residences, a fish farm, and agricultural lands. The initial sectarian religious training, *Daura-e-Sufa*, is conducted here.

#### Other Training Camps
In 1987, LeT established two camps in Afghanistan: Muaskar-e-Taiba in Jaji, Paktia Province, and Muaskar-e-Aqsa in Kunar Province. U.S. intelligence analysts justified the extrajudicial detention of Bader Al Bakri Al Samiri at Guantanamo, alleging he attended an LeT camp in Afghanistan.

Mariam Abou Zahab and Olivier Roy in *Islamist Networks: The Afghan-Pakistan Connection* (2004) identified three LeT camps in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, with the main one, Umm-al-Qura, in Muzaffarabad, training 500 militants monthly. Muhammad Amir Rana’s *A to Z of Jehadi Organizations in Pakistan* (2004) listed five camps: Muaskar-e-Taiba, Muaskar-e-Aqsa, Muaskar Umm-al-Qura, and Muaskar Abdullah bin Masood in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, and Markaz Mohammed bin Qasim in Sanghar District, Sindh. By 2004, 10,000 militants had been trained in these camps.

### Funding
Pakistan’s government began funding LeT in the early 1990s, with significant increases by 1995, when the army and ISI helped build its military structure for use against India. The LeT also raised funds through MDI’s Department of Finance. LeT operatives have been caught in India raising funds from Muslim communities.

While much of the funding supported legitimate ventures like factories, a significant portion fueled military activities. By 2009, U.S. intelligence estimated LeT’s military budget exceeded $5 million.

Use of Charity Aid to Fund Relief Operations

LeT provided aid after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, often arriving before the army or civilians.

Funds collected from the Pakistani diaspora in Britain for earthquake relief were partly diverted to LeT activities. Approximately £5 million was raised, but over half was used for LeT operations, including preparations for the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot. Some funds also supported fighter recruitment.

Notable Incidents

1998 Wandhama massacre: On 25 January 1998, 23 Kashmiri pandits were killed.

Chittisinghpura massacre: In March 2000, LeT militants allegedly killed 35 Sikhs in Chittisinghpura, Kashmir. An 18-year-old arrested in December 2000 admitted LeT’s involvement in a New York Times interview, showing no remorse. Hafiz Saeed denied knowing the individual or LeT’s role. In 2010, LeT associate David Headley, arrested for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, reportedly confessed to the National Investigation Agency that LeT executed the massacre, naming militant Muzzamil as a participant aiming to stoke communal tensions before Clinton’s visit.

2000 terrorist attack on Red Fort: The Indian government attributed the attack to LeT, which confirmed its involvement. LeT claimed responsibility for an attack on Srinagar Airport, killing five Indians and six militants.

LeT claimed an attack on Indian security forces along the border.

2001 Indian Parliament attack: The Indian government blamed LeT, alongside Jaish-e-Mohammed, for the 13 December 2001 assault on parliament in Delhi.

2002 Kaluchak massacre: On 14 May 2002, 31 were killed; Australia attributed this to LeT when designating it a terrorist group. 2003 Nadimarg Massacre: On 23 March 2003, 24 Kashmiri pandits were gunned down.

2005 Delhi bombings: LeT bombed festive Delhi markets during Diwali, killing 60 and injuring 527, claiming the attack as "Islami Inqilabi Mahaz" on a jihadist website.

2006 Varanasi bombings: LeT conducted serial blasts in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, killing 37 and seriously injuring 89.[16] 2006 Doda massacre: On 30 April 2006, 34 Hindus were killed in Kashmir.

2006 Mumbai train bombings: Investigations by Indian and U.S. officials linked LeT to the 11 July 2006 serial blasts, which killed 211, maimed 407, and seriously injured 768.

On 12 September 2006, LeT’s propaganda arm issued a fatwa against Pope Benedict XVI, demanding Muslims assassinate him for controversial remarks about Muhammad.

On 16 September 2006, LeT militant Abu Saad, area commander in Gul Gulabhgash, was killed by 9-Rashtriya Rifles in Nandi Marg forest, Kulgam. Arms, ammunition, and high-denomination Indian and Pakistani currency were recovered.

2008 Mumbai attacks: From 26–29 November 2008, LeT was the prime suspect in Mumbai attacks involving hostage-taking, bombing, and shootouts, though it denied involvement. Captured gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab admitted LeT, with Pakistan Army and ISI support, planned and executed the attacks. U.S. intelligence confirmed LeT’s role. A July 2009 Pakistani investigation confirmed LeT’s involvement.

On 7 December 2008, Pakistan’s army, under U.S. and Indian pressure, raided LeT and JuD facilities, arresting suspects linked to the 26/11 attacks.

In August 2009, LeT issued an ultimatum to enforce Islamic dress code in Jammu and Kashmir colleges, raising fears in the region.

In September and October 2009, Israeli and Indian intelligence warned of LeT plans to attack Jewish sites in Pune and other locations frequented by Western and Israeli tourists in India. Mumbai attackers targeting the Chabad Lubavitch center were reportedly told, “Every person you kill where you are is worth 50 of the ones killed elsewhere.”

In November 2009, reports indicated LeT members planned attacks on U.S. and Indian embassies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on the first anniversary of the Mumbai attacks. Seven men, including a senior LeT member, were arrested.

The Resistance Front (TRF)

The Resistance Front (TRF), allegedly a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was formed in 2019. The Indian government accuses TRF of threatening Jammu and Kashmir’s security through attacks on security forces and civilians, weapon transport, militant recruitment, border infiltration, and smuggling weapons and narcotics. In January 2023, TRF was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and its commander, Sheikh Sajjad Gul, was designated a terrorist, following suspicions of TRF’s role in the June 2018 assassination conspiracy of Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari. In April 2025, the 2025 Pahalgam attack killed 28 tourists, mostly Hindu, after gunmen checked their religious identity. Initial investigations pointed to TRF as responsible for the deadliest attack in a decade.

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