NEW DELHI, June 1 (UPI) -- India has said it has evidence that Islamic terror outfits are recruiting people from provinces other than Jammu and Kashmir.
"We have solid proofs that terrorist organizations are recruiting people from Maharashtra and Gujarat and giving them training with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in southern Kashmir," a statement from the Indian Intelligence Bureau said.
A bureau official said the new modus operandi came to light when security forces gunned down two militants and arrested two of their accomplices. During interrogation, the arrested men revealed that Hizb commanders were sending their cadres to riot-affected Maharashtra and Gujarat to recruit Muslim youths who were then trained by Hizb commanders.
Intelligence officials said that in April this year Lashkar-e-Toiba's south Kashmir division commander, known as Asif, discussed collaborative strategies with his Hizb counterpart, Mohammed Ashraf.
"Two recent high-profile terror attacks in Srinagar, which injured 32 security personnel, and another assault on Air Force personnel, are the outcome of that meeting," the official said, adding that there is evidence that Hizb has made its operatives available to other groups.
Hizb operatives enrolled as religious studies students in Madrasas in Maharashtra and Gujarat to recruit cadres and develop infrastructure for their organizations.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen appears to be seeking to enhance their pan-India capabilities, the official said, something the terror group has long desired.
