Doda: The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is reportedly one of the largest terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Compared to other terrorist outfits in J&K, the LeT has commanded significant attention primarily due to two reasons.
First, for its well planned and executed attacks on security force (SF) targets in the State and second, for the dramatic massacres of non-Muslim civilians. After the Kargil war of May-July 1999, (when Pakistani troops and mercenaries, including those of the Lashkar, were forced to withdraw from peaks on the Indian side of the Line of Control - LoC), the outfit launched its 'suicide attacks' strategy whereby small groups (2-5 members) of fidayeen (suicide squads) would storm a security force camp or base.
While the primary area of operations of the Lashkar-e-Toiba's terrorist activities is the Kashmir valley, the outfit is also active in the Jammu region besides having undertaken isolated attacks in other parts of India.
The outfit has engineered 17 massacres, killing 270 Hindus, in the past 10 years of militancy in the state. The major areas of operation have been the Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts of Jammu division.
Lashkar has over 350 militants operating in Doda district and have "suicide squads, known as 'fidayeens'" and they comprise 60 per cent Afghanis, 30 per cent Pakistanis and the rest from other countries, the officials say.
Eight such massacres were carried out by the outfit in Doda, four in Kashmir valley, two in Anantnag and one each in Udhampur and Rajouri districts, according to the officials.
In Doda, Lashkar killed 150 Hindus, including eight Village Defence Committee members, followed by 85 Hindus in Kashmir, 27 in Udhampur and eight in Rajouri.
Over 150 people were also injured in the attacks in these areas. As many as 22 Hindus were killed in Doda district by the LeT militants today.
LeT's first massacre was on January 5, 1996, in which 16 Hindus were killed in Barshalla village of Doda, followed by 17 Hindus in Sumber area of the same district and 25 Kashmiri pandits in Wundhama, Srinagar on January 25-26, 1997.
It was followed by killing of eight Hindus in Swari (Rajouri) on June 24, 1997 and 25 in Chapnari (Doda) on June 19, 1998.
Thirty-five labourers were killed in Kalaban, bordering Doda and Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on
August 8, 1998, 27 at Prankote (Doda) on April 18, 1998 and 15 at Layata in Doda on July 19, 1999.
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