Gujarat ATS probes Lashkar plan to kill Modi

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has launched an inquiry following WikiLeaks report that Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had planned to assassinate Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2009.

"We are inquiring into the expose about the LeT threat to Chief Minister Modi," a senior police officials said, declining to divulge more information.

"However, there is no formal complaint with regard to what was released on the WikiLeaks," he said.

ATS sources they would be looking if there were locals linked to the LeT plot to kill the BJP leader, one of the most protected politicians in the country.

According to a secret US diplomatic cable dated June 19, 2009, released by the whistleblower website, LeT had planned to assassinate Modi. The US State Department cable was based on various intelligence inputs received by it.

The cable also noted that the network of Shafiq Khafa - a Lashkar leader - was "striving to stand up two teams in southern India that rely on the support of LeT members based in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal".

Khafa was preparing for operations in India and this included targeting Modi, it said.

"The tasks were associated with a possible operation against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendar Modi, the establishment of a training camp, and unspecified work involving a car," the cable said.

Although specific details of planned LeT attacks remain unknown, May 2009 intelligence indicates that Khafa's cells were engaged in surveillance activities of potential targets, likely in southern India, the cable said.

"Early-May reporting further suggests Kerala or Tamil Nadu may be used as a base of operations following the establishment of a facilitation team in Sri Lanka," it added.