The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, defending the country’s 7,517 kilometres long coastline, have been put on alert against attacks on ports, cargo ships and oil tankers by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been building its sea strike capabilities since June this year, Pakistan watchers and counter-terrorism officials in India said on condition of anonymity.
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), another Pakistan-based Islamist terror group targeting India, has also started a rigorous training programme that involves swimming and deep diving techniques, according to these officials.
According to the officials, it first came to light during the interrogation of 26/11 accused David Coleman Headley by the National Investigation Agency in 2010 with the jihadist naming a certain Yaqoob as head of the terror group’s marine wing; he also added that the 10 gunmen involved in the Mumbai terror attack on 26/11 were trained by Pakistan Navy deep sea divers or frogmen.