Did surgical strikes drive a deep divide between Lashkar and Pak army?

India is not ready to believe reports that speak of a rift between the civilian government and the military in Pakistan. India feels that the news was part of Pakistan's posturing as it has come under heavy pressure from all quarters for allowing terrorists to use its soil.

However, Indian officials do confirm that there has been a rift between the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the military following the surgical strikes that were carried out by India across the Line of Control.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba had suffered the most casualties and reports suggest that the terrorist outfit lost 20 of its fighters.

There has been a lot of disgruntlement in the ranks of the Lashkar-e-Taiba following the surgical strikes. The outfit feels that the Pakistan army did not do much to protect its cadres and secondly they were meted out second hand treatment when it came to burying their cadres, who were killed in the surgical strike.

Will Lashkar-e-Taiba spin out of control?

The ISI has so far managed to keep a check on the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Any sign of this outfit spinning out of control is not good news for Pakistan.

The ISI has done everything it could to ensure that the outfit remains grounded. However, if the ISI does out of its way try to please the Lashkar-e-Taiba, then it is not a good sign for India.

An extension for Gen Raheel Sharif would mean Pak wants conflict with India

Prior to the 26/11 attacks, there was resentment brewing within the ranks of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Many of its fighters had wanted to go to Afghanistan and fight against the United States of America.

They felt that their Taliban brothers were getting killed and hence they needed to stand by them.

The ISI was, however, not ready to let the Lashkar-e-Taiba join the Afghanistan battle. This is when the ISI sanctioned the 26/11 attacks only with a view of keeping the outfit united. The ISI had successfully managed to avert the split.

Indian agencies would now be closely watching any move by the ISI to calm the tempers in the Lashkar-e-Taiba ranks.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the ISI may sanction a major hit so that the cadres do not try and desert or split the outfit.

The army has already started a damage control exercise in this regard.

First it has moved away all Lashkar-e-Taiba launch pads away from the Line of Control. Most of the pads have been moved back 9 to 10 kilometres. Further the chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba has also been moved into an army camp in a bid to avoid a strike on him.

OneIndia News