SUMMARY

The primary objective of Lashkar-e-Taiba (meaning 'Army of the Pure') is to gain control over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is now controlled by the Indian government. In addition, the group’s long-term aim is to establish Islamic rule over the entire India as part of a union comprising Muslim Central Asia. Taking into account the allegations regarding the clandestine support Lashkar-e-Taiba received from the Pakistan secret service ISI during the 1990s, the group’s activities also have to be seen in the context of the hostilities between the Indian and Pakistani governments (see India - Pakistan).

Lashkar-e-Taiba has been held responsible for a number of major terrorist attacks across India, which mainly targeted non-Muslim civilians. In Jammu and Kashmir in particular, Lashkar-e-Taiba are held responsible for having introduced attacks carried out by Fidayeen, i.e. suicide squads.

The event that allowed for the inclusion of Lashkar-e-Taiba in UCDP data was a major attack in Mumbai that was carried out by an Indian cell of the Pakistan-based group. In August 2003, two bomb blasts at a jewelry market and a popular tourist spot left 54 people dead and about 200 people wounded.

Lashkar-e-Taiba first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2003, when one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in August when Lashkar-e-Taiba militants killed over 50 civilians in Mumbai.