In a chilling warning invoking the spectre of the 2008 Mumbai carnage, the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has threatened to carry out a 26/11-style attack in India again using the sea route.
CNN-News18 has accessed a video of Saifullah Kasuri, deputy chief of LeT and the alleged mastermind of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, in which he issues open threats against India and boasts of Pakistan’s supposed military dominance.
‘Will Dominate the Sea in 2026’
In the video, Kasuri claims that Pakistan had “dominated the air" in 2025 and will “dominate the sea" in 2026, asserting that there will be no space left for the “enemy" across land, air, or sea. He frames this alleged superiority as divinely ordained, attributing it to “Allah’s will", and vows that Pakistan will soon establish control across all strategic domains.
Top intelligence sources say the statements amount to an advance warning of a possible maritime terror attempt similar to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which were orchestrated by LeT in 2008 and carried out via the Arabian Sea route.
Post-Pahalgam Escalation
Kasuri is accused of masterminding the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which triggered strong retaliation from India. In May 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps linked to LeT and other groups in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In the video, Kasuri appears deeply angered by Indian strikes on Muridke and Bahawalpur—the known strongholds of LeT infrastructure. He portrays India’s counter-terror action as “aggression" and attempts to rally support by accusing New Delhi of provocation.
Direct Threats to India
Kasuri issues brazen warnings directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accuses India of “water terrorism", and threatens that pressure on Kashmir will be met with unrest elsewhere, including in Balochistan.
In an inflammatory remark, he suggests that while “they will not attack Madina", they would target Indian religious sites—an apparent reference to temples such as those in Ayodhya—raising fresh concerns about possible attacks on civilian and symbolic targets.
He also openly speaks of continued coordination with the Pakistan Army, reinforcing long-standing Indian allegations of state patronage and ISI backing for the group.
Intelligence And Security Assessment
Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the threats reflect continued attempts by Pakistan-based terror networks to regroup and remain relevant despite India’s counter-terror operations.
Security experts interpret the video as propaganda aimed at boosting cadre morale after setbacks such as Operation Sindoor. However, the explicit reference to maritime routes and 26/11-style attacks has heightened security vigilance along India’s western coastline.
