CHARNA ISLAND:Lashkar-e-Taiba is allegedly training operatives for maritime operations at Charna Island in the Arabian Sea, around 50 kilometres from Karachi, according to intelligence inputs cited in a recent report.
The alleged training facility is said to be operated by the outfit's maritime wing, identified as Dawa Marine Wing, also known as Sada-e-Hurriyat. The training reportedly includes scuba diving, underwater operations and combat swimming.
The report claims that the operatives are being presented as ordinary tourists to avoid attracting attention. Charna Island receives a large number of visitors every day, providing a possible cover for the alleged activities.
The area is also reportedly used by the Pakistan Navy as a firing range, a factor that could make unusual activity there harder to identify.
The report further claims that Lashkar operatives had earlier trained at a facility near Mangal Dam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. That facility was reportedly destroyed during India's Operation Sindoor. The group is alleged to have shifted its training activities to Charna Island afterwards.
The allegations have raised concerns because of the role of sea routes in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Lashkar operatives had entered Mumbai by sea during the 26/11 attacks.
However, the reported training activities at Charna Island have not been independently verified in the available account. No official response from the Pakistani government has been cited in the report.
