Formed in 2000, Jaish-e-Mohammad has been linked to al-Qaeda, according to a Stanford University research brief. The group's central aim is to unite Kashmir with Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir, frequently referred to as J&K, is a northwestern Indian state that has been contested by Pakistan and India since the partitioning of British India in 1947, which formed the two states.
According to NDTV, high-level sources within the Indian Navy report that Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists have been training in deepsea diving techniques in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The divers could be preparing to "target strategic assets of the Navy," according to the contents of an intelligence assessment prepared by India's Multi Agency Center, NDTV reported July 18.
Naval bases in India have been notified that the threat is "specific," NDTV's sources said.
However, the "strategic" assets that may be targeted are still vague at this juncture. NDTV notes that divers may seek to disrupt Indian naval ships generally, or the terror plot may involve a plan to sabotage India's prized INS Arihant and INS Arighat submarines, which are capable of firing ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
The two submarines, along with the Russian-constructed INS Chakra attack sub, are stationed in Visakhapatnam, India, a port city on the Bay of Bengal on the opposite side of India from Pakistan, reports suggest.
In addition to the potential naval threat, another terror group, Lashkar-a-Taiba, may be cooperating with Jaish-e-Mohammad on a separate strike on Indian border security forces, DNA India reported Wednesday, citing an intelligence report.