180 Kerala youth ready to wage LeT’s war

Author: Vicky Nanjappa

Source:www.rediff.com

At least 180 persons trained by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Kerala are waiting to take up the cause of jihad.

Probes
into serial blasts, which have a Kerala link, have found that since the
past three years over 180 youth trained were extensively at Ernakulam
in Kerala and readied for jihad.

Investigating officials told rediff.com
that two Kashmiri terrorists, Sajjad and Fayaz Ahmed, revealed during
their interrogation that most of the Kerala youth were selected and
trained by the LeT.

They further revealed that while some of
the members were asked to stay back in Kashmir and fight the war
against India, the other members were sent back to Kerala.

The
members, who were sent back, were directed to carry out subversive
activities in India. Investigations have also revealed that apart from
the 180 persons, who are jihad-ready at the moment, there are an equal
number of youth being indoctrinated into LeT’s camps.

These
persons will be imparted training in two phases. The initial part of
the training or the conditioning camp takes place in Kerala while the
rest of the training is imparted in Kashmir.

In the
conditioning camp these youth are taught about the war against India.
More importantly, they are taught Urdu so that they can communicate at
ease with their counterparts and bosses in Pakistan.

The
second phase of the training includes arms training, which is imparted
in Kashmir. Intelligence Bureau sources say that the Lashkar was able
to break into parts of Kerala such as Ernakulam, as they were
communally sensitive.

Abdul Sattar a resident of Malappuram in
Kerala who was arrested by the Hyderabad police for alleged links with
the Indian Mujahideen, too had revealed that over a period of time, the
Lashkar had made Kerala a recruitment hub and was readying several
youth for jihad.

Apart from this, the Lashkar also set up the
primary base of the Indian Mujahideen in Kerala in order to carry out
terror activities in India. However, off late the Lashkar was giving
more emphasis to Kashmir and since it was unable to transport its men
into Kashmir easily, it was relying upon the Kerala module. The reason:
LeT found the youth in this part of the country more dedicated.