India accuses Pakistan-based group for assault on Hindu pilgrims

Indian police blamed a Pakistan-based militant group on Sunday for last month's killing of eight Hindu pilgrims in the disputed Himalayan valley of Kashmir.

Inspector General of Police Muneer Ahmed Khan told reporters in Anantnag district in Indian-controlled Kashmir that a probe had concluded that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Kashmiri accomplices were behind the July 10 attack.

"Lashkar was involved and the accused have been identified," Khan said, adding, “Once the investigation was started it was revealed that... a Pakistani militant of Lashkar along with two other militants and one local Kashmiri Lashkar militant carried out the attack."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the police official said the militants had carefully plotted to attack any police or tourist vehicle that crossed their path on the evening of the assault. "They had kept separate code words for tourist and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) vehicles... It was purely an act of terrorism carried out with an aim to spread fear."

The assault saw militants open fire on a bus transporting Hindus on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

Indian security sources said three others who provided logistical support to the militants, including hiding places and vehicles, had been arrested.

Rebel groups, including LeT, have for decades fought Indian troops deployed in Kashmir, demanding independence or a merger of the former Himalayan kingdom with Pakistan.

In 2000, gunmen fired on a group of Hindu pilgrims and killed more than 30 people including two police officers in the violence-hit region.

LeT has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks inside India, most notably the Mumbai massacre in November 2008.

On November 26, 2008, a heavily armed and well-drilled group of 10 commandos arrived in Mumbai by sea. The men split into groups to attack various targets. Their assault on the Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel and a Jewish center went on for 60 hours and claimed 166 lives.

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the sole surviving gunman in the attacks, was hanged in 2012. India blamed LeT for the attacks.

India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in entirety and have fought three wars over the region. India accuses Pakistan of funding and training militants in Kashmir, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Kashmir has seen a sharp increase in anti-India protests since government forces shot and killed Burhan Wani, a popular fighter, a year ago.

New Delhi has deployed some 500,000 soldiers to the disputed region to confront pro-independence demonstrations in its part of Kashmir, where about 70,000 people have been killed since 1989.

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