by maypaxvobiscum » Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:38 am
A group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's coordinated and deadly attacks in southern Mumbai, but security analysts know next to nothing about them.
One of the alleged gunmen is pictured in Mumbai during the attacks which left at least 101 people dead.
Analysts do not know who the Deccan Mujahideen are affiliated with, whether they are new or the offshoot of an old group.
India ranks among the countries where terrorism is most common, according to the U.S. State Department. And cross-pollination among various terror groups in south Asia makes it difficult to separate them, they say.
Both the intelligence community in India and the United States think the Deccan Mujahideen may be affiliated with one of two organizations that have carried out attacks in India in the past: the Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
The Indian Mujahideen is a Muslim militant group which emerged about a year ago but has the organizational capability to carry out attacks such as those in Mumbai, said Paul Cruickshank, a fellow at the Center on Law and Security at New York University's School of Law.
The group has declared "open war" against India in retaliation for what it said were 60 years of Muslim persecution and the country's support of U.S. policies.
In September, the group said it was behind a series of explosions which ripped through busy marketplaces in New Delhi, killing 24 people and wounding about 100.
The group also claimed responsibility in May for near-simultaneous bomb attacks that killed 63 people in the northwest city of Jaipur.
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (Army of the Pure) is an Islamic extremist group that has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Indian troops and civilians in recent years. They are suspected of being behind the string of bombs that ripped through packed Mumbai commuter trains and platforms during rush hour in July 2006. More than 200 people were killed in that attack.
In the past, Indian officials have blamed attacks within its borders on "foreign" Islamic extremist groups fighting against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
The U.S. State Department says Lashkar-e-Tayyiba has several thousand members in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir and called it one of the three largest and best-trained groups fighting against India. Watch analysis on what the intentions were behind the attacks »
Kashmir has been the source of bitter dispute and two wars between India and Pakistan. Both control parts of the region, which is predominantly Muslim.
The Pakistani government has banned the group and froze its assets in 2002. And Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, has made overtures for improved relations between the two countries. He condemned Wednesday's attacks.
Officially, the Indian authorities are saying no one has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attacks which killed at least 101 people, including foreigners. The Deccan Mujahideen took credit in e-mails sent to several Indian news outlets.
Deccan refers to the Deccan Plateau that makes up the majority of the southern part of the country. 'Deccan' is an Anglicized form of 'dakkhin' which means south.
Mujahideen translates into 'those engaged in the struggle for Jihad.' While 'Jihad' in Islam can mean any endeavor that requires dedication, the term has taken on a militant tone in recent years.