India faces a new maritime security challenge, nearly 18 years after the horrific 26/11 terror attacks, when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives sailed into Mumbai via the Arabian Sea to unleash coordinated strikes across the city.
In a fresh development, intelligence reports indicate that LeT is once again focusing on the maritime domain, training recruits for waterborne operations with worrying boldness.
The 26/11 attacks killed 166 people and injured over 300, leaving a scar on the nation’s collective memory. Nine of the terrorists were killed in the aftermath, and Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker, was tried, convicted, and executed.
Indian security agencies are alarmed not only by the existence of these programs but also by the apparent confidence with which they are being conducted.
According to India Today, a video recently surfaced, allegedly showing Haris Dar, described as a senior LeT functionary, personally supervising water-based drills.
In the footage, a purported LeT commander acknowledges the formation of a dedicated “maritime force” and confirms that the program is run by LeT and its affiliates. Indian officials interpret this as clear evidence of structured recruitment, indoctrination, and operational preparation.
A Widespread Maritime Network
As per reports, intelligence and media tracking suggest that the LeT’s maritime wing operates across multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Camps and training courses have reportedly been set up in urban centers like Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, as well as at controlled water bodies such as Mangla Dam and Mirpur.
This geographical spread indicates a systematic approach to familiarizing recruits with a range of aquatic environments. Reports further suggest that senior LeT commanders, including Rizwan Hanif and Amir Zia, oversee the program, which may enjoy a degree of institutional shielding.
Estimates indicate that roughly 5,000 youths have undergone water-focused training, with around 300 absorbed into LeT’s militant cadre after further ideological and weapons instruction.
This layered recruitment allows the group to maintain a reservoir of maritime-trained fighters, even if only a fraction are deployed for attacks.
Advanced Training for Stealth and Assault
The training reportedly includes advanced swimming, scuba diving, underwater manoeuvres, high-speed motorboat handling, and coordinated attack tactics.
The focus appears to be on creating small, agile teams capable of stealth infiltration and multi-target urban strikes, tactics reminiscent of the 26/11 attacks, when terrorists hijacked a fishing vessel to land in Mumbai.
Strategic Implications for India
The timing of this maritime push adds complexity for Indian security forces. With Pakistan facing instability along the Durand Line and rising anti-state militancy in its western provinces, proxy groups may increasingly see the sea as an alternative corridor for attacks.
Land infiltration along the Line of Control is heavily fortified, but monitoring the long 11,098-km coastline with dense civilian maritime traffic remains a challenge.
Despite major upgrades to coastal surveillance, radar coverage, and maritime domain awareness since 26/11, the emergence of a structured LeT maritime wing underscores that the threat of sea-based attacks remains real.
It is a stark reminder that anti-India militant networks continue to adapt, leveraging strategic opportunities wherever they arise.