At least 180 persons trained by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Kerala are waiting to take up the cause of jihad.
Probes into serial blasts, which have a Kerala link, have found that since the past three years over 180 youth trained were extensively at Ernakulam in Kerala and readied for jihad.
Investigating officials told rediff.com that two Kashmiri terrorists, Sajjad and Fayaz Ahmed, revealed during their interrogation that most of the Kerala youth were selected and trained by the LeT.
They further revealed that while some of the members were asked to stay back in Kashmir and fight the war against India, the other members were sent back to Kerala.
The members, who were sent back, were directed to carry out subversive activities in India. Investigations have also revealed that apart from the 180 persons, who are jihad-ready at the moment, there are an equal number of youth being indoctrinated into LeT's camps.
These persons will be imparted training in two phases. The initial part of the training or the conditioning camp takes place in Kerala while the rest of the training is imparted in Kashmir.
In the conditioning camp these youth are taught about the war against India. More importantly, they are taught Urdu so that they can communicate at ease with their counterparts and bosses in Pakistan.
The second phase of the training includes arms training, which is imparted in Kashmir. Intelligence Bureau sources say that the Lashkar was able to break into parts of Kerala such as Ernakulam, as they were communally sensitive.
Abdul Sattar a resident of Malappuram in Kerala who was arrested by the Hyderabad police for alleged links with the Indian Mujahideen, too had revealed that over a period of time, the Lashkar had made Kerala a recruitment hub and was readying several youth for jihad.
Apart from this, the Lashkar also set up the primary base of the Indian Mujahideen in Kerala in order to carry out terror activities in India. However, off late the Lashkar was giving more emphasis to Kashmir and since it was unable to transport its men into Kashmir easily, it was relying upon the Kerala module. The reason: LeT found the youth in this part of the country more dedicated.
