Pak terror groups blamed for attacks in Afghanistan: Report

Washington, Dec 7: Fingers of blame for Afghanistan's first major sectarian assault since the fall of Taliban regime 10 years ago are pointing to radical terror groups in Pakistan, raising fears among US officials that more such groups may now be operating in the strife-torn country.

The attacks among the wars deadliest struck across the country, hitting targets in capital Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif almost simultaneously, killing at least 63 Shiite mourners on Ashura.

Targetted sectarian strikes are alien to Afghanistan, New York Times reported, saying that it was no surprise that responsibility was claimed by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The group, NYT said, had not previously claimed or carried out attacks in Afghanistan, but its sudden emergence across the border, has fuelled suspicions that al-Qaeda, the Taliban and Pakistan's spy agency ISI may have teamed up with the group to send the message that Afghanistan's future stability remained deeply tenuous and indeed dependent in the cooperation of outside forces.

The actual intentions of those behind Tuesday's attacks remained murky because of the group's tangled history, which once operated openly in Pakistan with the support of its spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, but has since been outlawed.

In recent years it has struck up alliances with al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella group of Pakistani militants that has attacked Pakistan's cities and security forces numerous times.

PTI