NEW DELHI: Senior commanders of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have issued open calls for jihad and threatened attacks on major Indian cities, including Delhi and Agra, during public gatherings in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The coordinated escalation, coinciding with so-called Kashmir Solidarity Day, featured inflammatory speeches aimed at inciting violence against India and Western nations. The rhetoric has prompted heightened alerts within India’s intelligence and security agencies amid concerns over possible cross-border repercussions.
A speech by senior LeT ideologue Syed Abdul Rehman Naqvi drew particular attention for its explicit geographic threats. Addressing a large gathering, he declared that his group would “set Agra on fire, rouse the Deccan, and shake Delhi,” drawing loud applause from supporters.
In Rawalakot, JeM commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri urged Pakistani youth to join the organisation, claiming his followers were prepared with “full force and terror” to confront their enemies. He also warned that a “message” would be delivered to Delhi and global powers, specifically naming the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The rally also showcased newly recruited militants, described as a “next-generation” cadre. Kashmiri, who had earlier acknowledged the damage caused by Indian strikes on JeM’s base in Bahawalpur, previously admitted that the attacks left terrorists “in shreds.”
Meanwhile, in Lahore, Naqvi, a leader of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League—the political front of LeT—issued fresh threats against India’s territorial integrity. Closely associated with Hafiz Saeed and his son Talha Saeed, Naqvi pledged to fulfil what he called the “testaments of his elders” by dismantling the idea of “Akhand Bharat.”
Indian security agencies are closely monitoring developments, viewing the coordinated statements as a serious escalation in hostile propaganda and potential militant activity.
