Latest news with #LashkarETaiba
CNA
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
India court acquits 12 in deadly 2006 train blasts case
MUMBAI: An Indian court acquitted on Monday (Jul 21) 12 men previously convicted for a series of bomb blasts that ripped through packed commuter trains in Mumbai in 2006 that killed 187 people. The men were convicted in 2015 of murder, conspiracy, and waging war against the country over the attacks during the evening rush hour of Jul 11, 2006 that also injured more than 800 people. Five were sentenced to death, while the other seven were given life imprisonment. But, 10 years later, the Bombay High Court set aside a lower court's verdict and acquitted the 12 men. Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak said in their judgement, the prosecution had "utterly failed to establish the offence beyond the reasonable doubt against the accused on each count". The men were ordered to be released from jail "if they are not required to be detained in any other case". The prosecution can appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. A total of seven blasts ripped through the trains after the bombs, packed into pressure cookers, were placed in bags and hidden under newspapers and umbrellas. Prosecutors said the devices were assembled in Mumbai and deliberately placed in first-class coaches to target the city's wealthy Gujarati community. They said the bombings were intended as revenge for the riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, which left some 2,000 people dead, most of them Muslims. Prosecutors accused Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of being behind the attacks, although a little-known outfit called the Lashkar-e-Qahhar later claimed responsibility.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
India court acquits 12 in deadly 2006 train blasts case
MUMBAI, India: An Indian court acquitted on Monday 12 men previously convicted for a series of bomb blasts that ripped through packed commuter trains in Mumbai in 2006 that killed 187 people. The men were convicted in 2015 of murder, conspiracy, and waging war against the country over the attacks during the evening rush hour of July 11, 2006 that also injured more than 800 people. Five were sentenced to death, while the other seven were given life imprisonment. But, 10 years later, the Bombay High Court set aside a lower court's verdict and acquitted the 12 men. Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak said in their judgment, the prosecution had 'utterly failed to establish the offense beyond the reasonable doubt against the accused on each count.' The men were ordered to be released from jail 'if they are not required to be detained in any other case.' The prosecution can appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. A total of seven blasts ripped through the trains after the bombs, packed into pressure cookers, were placed in bags and hidden under newspapers and umbrellas. Prosecutors said the devices were assembled in Mumbai and deliberately placed in first-class coaches to target the city's wealthy Gujarati community. They said the bombings were intended as revenge for the riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, which left some 2,000 people dead, most of them Muslims. Prosecutors accused Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of being behind the attacks, although a little-known outfit called the Lashkar-e-Qahhar later claimed responsibility. Pakistan denied the allegations.
Times of Oman
7 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
China "strongly" condemns Pahalgam attack, calls on regional countries to enhance counter terrorism ops
Beijing: After the United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), China has condemned the April 22 Pahalgam attack, calling for greater regional cooperation to counter terrorism and ensure stability. China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian lauded the effort of the US in helping combat terrorist activities. When asked about the US State Department's effort by designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organisation, Lin said that China condemns all forms of terrorism. "China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22. China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability," he said. The US Department of State on Thursday (local time) designated The Resistance Front (TRF). In a statement issued by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the statement acknowledged the fact that the organisation claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The US, therefore, accorded the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). "Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024," the statement read. The statement said that this action demonstrated the US President Donald Trump administration's commitment to countering terrorism. "These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack," the statement said. "TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT's designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register," the statement added.
Arab News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan says Kashmir tourist attack probe ‘inconclusive' as US blacklists militant group
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Friday a probe into the April killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir remained inconclusive, hours after the United States designated a Lashkar-e-Taiba-affiliated group as a terrorist entity, and accused India of using such listings to spread an anti-Pakistan narrative internationally. The group in question, The Resistance Front (TRF), also known as Kashmir Resistance, was blacklisted by Washington on Thursday as a 'foreign terrorist organization' and 'specially designated global terrorist' in connection with the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group had claimed responsibility for the assault before withdrawing its statement, and described TRF as a 'front and proxy' of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based outfit banned under US law. Responding to the development, Pakistan's foreign office said it had 'zero tolerance' for militant entities, though any link between TRF and Lashkar-e-Taiba 'belies ground realities,' noting the latter was a defunct group that had been banned in Pakistan. 'Investigations into the Pahalgam incident, that happened in the internationally recognized disputed region of IIOJK, are still inconclusive,' the statement read, using Pakistan's official abbreviation for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. 'Pakistan has effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalized its cadres,' it continued. The foreign office also said India had a track record of leveraging such terror listings to deflect global scrutiny from its human rights record in Kashmir and elsewhere. 'India has a track record of exploiting such designations to push anti-Pakistan propaganda with a view to divert international attention from its irresponsible and rogue behavior, including ongoing human rights atrocities, especially in IIOJK,' the statement said. Pakistan cited its cooperation with international partners against extremist groups and the arrest of high-profile militants, including Sharifullah, the alleged mastermind of the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul that killed 13 US service members and about 170 Afghan civilians. In April, after India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, Islamabad called for a neutral and impartial investigation. The attack triggered days of cross-border hostilities, with India targeting what it described as 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan on May 7. The escalation — involving missiles, drones and artillery — left dozens dead before a ceasefire was announced on May 10. The foreign office said Pakistan urged the international community to adopt 'objective and non-discriminatory policies' on counterterrorism and called for other groups, such as the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), to be designated under US law. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the BLA and other separatist groups operating in the volatile southwestern province of Balochistan of being Indian proxies, a claim New Delhi denies. With input from Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US designates Pakistani group's offshoot as ‘terrorist' over Kashmir attack
Indian protesters burn a Pakistani flag after militants opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing several in April. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : The US government designated The Resistance Front, considered an offshoot of the Pakistani extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a 'foreign terrorist organisation' over the April 22 Islamist militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday. The Resistance Front, also known as Kashmir Resistance, initially took responsibility for the attack in Pahalgam before denying it days later. Lashkar-e-Taiba, listed as a 'foreign terrorist organisation' by the US, is an Islamist group accused of plotting attacks in India and in the West, including the three-day deadly assault on Mumbai in November 2008. TRF's designation by Washington as a 'foreign terrorist organisation' and 'specially designated global terrorist' enforced President Donald Trump's 'call for justice for the Pahalgam attack,' Rubio said in a statement. Rubio called TRF, which emerged in 2019, a 'front and proxy' for Lashkar-e-Taiba. It is considered an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, a Delhi-based think tank. The attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Asian neighbours India and Pakistan in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. Washington condemned the attack but did not directly blame Islamabad. Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy magazine, said in designating TRF, 'Washington is flagging its concern about the terrorist attack that provoked the recent India-Pakistan conflict, and siding with New Delhi's view that the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.' He added: 'This can be a shot in the arm for a US-India relationship looking to rebound after a few tough months.' On May 7, Indian jets bombed sites across the border that New Delhi described as 'terrorist infrastructure,' setting off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery that killed dozens until a ceasefire on May 10. The ceasefire was first announced by Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump's claims that it resulted from his intervention and his threats to sever trade talks. India's position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their problems directly and with no outside involvement. India is an increasingly important US partner in Washington's effort to counter China's rising influence in Asia, while Pakistan is a US ally. Both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full while ruling only parts of the Himalayan territory, over which they have also fought wars.
