Lashkar group which sneaked into India from Pakistan gives security agencies the jitters

NEW DELHI: A group of 5-6 Lashkar-e-Taiba militants that crossed over from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district last week has emerged as a major worry for the security agencies ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit.

The infiltrating group was tracked with the help of wireless intercepts picked up from across Pakistan, and is currently lying low in Jammu and Kashmir, possibly waiting for an opportunity to sneak outside the state. Agencies fear that the terrorists may be headed for Delhi with a specific mission to stage a spectacular strike coinciding with Obama's visit.

Sources in the security establishment said around half a dozen LeT men, who were waiting at a launch pad in PoK, crossed over to Kathua some time last week. This was confirmed from intercepts of their wireless conversations in Pakistani territory, tracked in real time by Indian intelligence agencies. However, after the group crossed over into Indian territory, there has been radio silence. Though the agencies have tracked the area from where the terrorists sneaked in, they have not been able to pinpoint their current location, thus hampering a possible counter-action to neutralise the group.

"Though the agencies know that the terrorists are still in J&K, there is still time for them to travel out for a possible strike in Delhi. Also, we do not know if they are in touch with a local module here, which may be activated for an LeT strike coinciding with Obama's stay here," said a senior officer of the intelligence establishment.

Obama is scheduled to arrive on January 25. He will be the chief guest for the Republic Day parade and is scheduled to travel to Agra for a tour of the Taj Mahal on January 27, before flying out the same day.