Balakot Strikes Aftermath: Pakistan Shifts LeT, JeM Camps on Afghan Border Fearing Indian Air Raids, Says Report
The two groups would continue to train its cadres specifically for anti-India operations, but the hideouts have been shifted to another periphery of the nation to achieve two goals -- avoiding cross-border action by India and pose a hogwash before international community through its purported 'crackdown on terror'.
New Delhi, July 7: The airstrikes in Balakot on February 27 has rattled the Pakistani deep state, which has been forced to relocate the terror camps of anti-India extremist groups - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) - to the border with Afghanistan, claims a report.
The two groups would continue to train its cadres specifically for anti-India operations, but the hideouts have been shifted to another periphery of the nation to achieve two goals -- avoiding cross-border action by India and pose a hogwash before international community through its purported "crackdown on terror", an HT report said. Pakistan 'Action' Against Hafiz Saeed: Don't Get Fooled by Cosmetic Steps, Says India
Both Lashkar and Jaish have reportedly joined hands with Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network -- the two prime insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan.
As per the report, the new LeT and JeM camps have been set-up in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.
Intelligence reports, as cited by HT, further claim that Jaish chief Masood Azhar, who has been recently been blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council, was offered safe refuge by the Taliban.
Azhar, however, reportedly refused the offer and decided to stay in Bahawalpur under the "protection" of Pakistan's Inter-State Intelligence (ISI).
The shift of LeT and JeM camps to Afghan border is one of the prime reasons why the Narendra Modi government has outrightly rejected Pakistan's recent "crackdown" on Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his top aides.
In a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, it asked Islamabad to provide verifiable evidence to support its claim of acting against terror groups and insurgent elements in the border region.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2019 02:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).