- A Lashkar-e-Taiba operative claims its 30 members were killed in Pakistan
- Deaths occurred over 3-4 years in Peshawar, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and PoK
- This is the first public admission of such killings by a Lashkar-linked terrorist
A top operative of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed on camera that "unknown men" have killed around 30 of its members within Pakistan.
A video featuring Rizwan Hanif - a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Pakistan maintains was outlawed and disbanded long ago - has surfaced on social media.
In the video, he claims that over the past three to four years, many members of their banned organisation, behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, have been killed in various parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoK).
More than 30 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists have been killed by "unknown men" in Peshawar, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Rawalakot, and Muzaffarabad.
This is the first time a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, sanctioned by the UN in 2005 over its links to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, has publicly admitted to such killings.
Indian security agencies have verified the authenticity of the video, confirming that the man in the video is a senior Lashkar terrorist who is wanted by India.
Hanif claims that Indian agencies orchestrated these targeted killings. However, India has rejected the charge.
In the video, Rizwan Hanif is also heard using offensive and hate-filled language against the Hindu religion.
This also highlights how terrorist organisations exploit religious sentiments to spread hatred and push people towards radicalisation.
