Lashkar-e-Taiba deputy chief admits Pakistan Army links in school speech

Lashkar-e-Taiba deputy chief admits Pakistan Army links in school speech

• Lashkar-e-Taiba deputy admits close ties with Pakistan Army in viral video.
• IAF destroyed Lashkar HQ in Muridke during Operation Sindoor, May 2025.
• Terror facilities being rebuilt before Kashmir Solidarity Day 2026.

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Lashkar-e-Taiba’s deputy chief and alleged mastermind of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, Saifullah Kasuri, has publicly acknowledged the terror group’s close association with the Pakistan Army, reinforcing India’s long-standing claims of state-backed terrorism across the border.

Kasuri made the remarks while addressing a gathering at a school in Pakistan, where he was seen speaking from a decorated platform in an undated video that has since gone viral. Intelligence sources have confirmed the authenticity of the video.

“Pakistan’s Army invites me to lead funeral prayers. Do you know India is also scared of me?” Kasuri is heard saying in the footage.

The appearance of a senior leader of a proscribed terror outfit at a children’s school has raised serious concerns, highlighting the extent to which extremist elements operate openly in Pakistan. Kasuri also claimed that the future belonged to Islam and Pakistan, issuing provocative statements directed at India.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, had claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were killed after being targeted based on their religious identity. The attack prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor, a military response aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

On May 7, under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force carried out precision strikes on Lashkar-e-Taiba facilities, including its headquarters at Markaz Taiba in Muridke. According to an intelligence dossier reviewed by CNN-News18, the strike caused total structural damage to key buildings at the complex, rendering it operationally defunct.

Despite the destruction, Lashkar-e-Taiba did not abandon the site. Intelligence inputs indicate that a systematic demolition of the damaged structures began on August 18 using heavy machinery.

By September 7, the core buildings had been completely razed to pave the way for reconstruction. The rebuilding effort is reportedly being fast-tracked ahead of February 5, 2026, Kashmir Solidarity Day, when the group is expected to hold its annual jihad convention, lending symbolic and propaganda significance to the project.

Kasuri’s public statements stand in sharp contrast to Pakistan’s repeated assurances to the international community that it is taking action against terrorist organisations operating within its territory. Indian officials have long maintained that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies provide direct support to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, citing historical instances including the 1999 Kargil conflict.

In November 2025, intelligence assessments cited by NDTV warned of a renewed push by Pakistan-based terror outfits. The report indicated that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were mobilising for coordinated attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting heightened alert levels across India’s Northern Command.

Indian authorities have said Operation Sindoor could enter a renewed phase if Pakistan’s “export of terror” continues. As part of ongoing preparedness, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma recently reviewed counter-infiltration measures and security arrangements along the Line of Control in north Kashmir.

“He also visited the High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg, where he reviewed the training activities with a particular focus on skill enhancement through incorporation of technology and innovation,” the Northern Command said in a post on X.

Kasuri, who has previously acknowledged that Operation Sindoor damaged terror infrastructure, has nonetheless continued issuing threats. In another undated video, he was heard saying, “India made a big mistake in Operation Sindoor by targeting only terrorist hideouts,” while reiterating the group’s focus on Kashmir.

At a separate rally in Punjab province’s Kasur district, Kasuri also claimed notoriety over the Pahalgam attack, saying, “I was blamed as being the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, now my name is famous in the entire world.”

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end hostilities after four days of cross-border drone and missile exchanges triggered by Operation Sindoor. Indian officials have maintained that any further terror attacks will invite a strong and decisive response.