Pahalgam mastermind Saifullah Kasuri threatens 26/11-style attack on India: ‘Will dominate the sea in 2026’

Lashkar-e-Taiba threatened India with a 26/11-style maritime attack, invoking the 2008 Mumbai attacks. LeT’s deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri boasted of Pakistan’s military strength and warned of targeting Indian religious sites, prompting heightened coastal security.

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Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba has issued a chilling threat to India, openly invoking the horrors of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and signalling the possibility of another 26/11-style strike using the sea route. The warning comes amid heightened tensions following India’s counter-terror operations and reflects a familiar pattern of escalation whenever Pakistan-backed terror networks are under pressure.

According to CNN-News18, a newly surfaced video shows LeT’s deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri boasting about Pakistan’s alleged military superiority and issuing direct threats against India. Indian intelligence agencies view the video as both propaganda and a dangerous signal that Pakistan-sponsored terror outfits are again attempting to weaponise the maritime route that was used in the Mumbai carnage of 2008.

‘Will dominate the sea in 2026’

In the video accessed by CNN-News18, Kasuri claims Pakistan had “dominated the air” in 2025 and will “dominate the sea” in 2026, declaring that there will be no space left for the “enemy” on land, air, or sea. He attributes this supposed dominance to “Allah’s will” and frames it as inevitable and divinely sanctioned.

Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that these remarks amount to an advance warning of a possible maritime terror attempt, deliberately echoing the tactics used during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which were orchestrated by LeT and executed via the Arabian Sea.

Fallout of Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor

Kasuri is accused of masterminding the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, which triggered a strong Indian response. In May 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps linked to LeT and allied groups in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In the video, Kasuri appears visibly rattled by Indian strikes on Muridke and Bahawalpur, long identified as hubs of LeT infrastructure. He describes India’s counter-terror action as “aggression” and attempts to rally cadres by portraying Pakistan as a victim rather than a sponsor of terrorism.

Open threats and communal targeting

Kasuri issues direct warnings aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accuses India of "water terrorism," and threatens that pressure in Kashmir will be answered with unrest elsewhere, including in Balochistan.

In an especially inflammatory remark, he says, "They will not attack Madina" but would target Indian religious sites, an apparent reference to temples such as those in Ayodhya. Security agencies see this as a deliberate attempt to incite communal fear and signal attacks on civilian and symbolic targets.

Kasuri also speaks openly about coordination with the Pakistan Army, reinforcing long-standing Indian allegations of state patronage and ISI backing for LeT operations.

Intelligence assessment and security response

Intelligence officials told CNN-News18 that the video reflects desperation within Pakistan-based terror networks after sustained Indian action. While the messaging is aimed at boosting cadre morale, the explicit reference to sea routes and 26/11-style attacks has triggered heightened vigilance along India’s western coastline.

Security experts warn that Pakistan and its terror proxies continue to recycle the same playbook, using threats and theatrics to stay relevant. For India, the video serves as a reminder that despite repeated exposure and retaliation, Islamabad-backed outfits like LeT remain committed to exporting terror, even as their claims of dominance ring hollow against the reality of Indian counter-terror operations.