Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent claims responsibility for Pakistani naval frigate attack

KARACHI, Pakistan, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The newly formed terror group, al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, has claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to hijack a Pakistani naval vessel and use it to attack U.S. Navy vessels.

If true, it constitutes the first known assault by the newly formed al-Qaida branch.

The Sept. 6 attack was launched against the frigate PNS Zulfiqar, which was scheduled to join an international naval anti-terrorism force in the Indian Ocean. The assault was attempted with the help of Pakistani Navy personnel recruited by al-Qaida.

"Without assistance from inside, these people could not have breached security," Defense Minister Khawaja Asif reported to Parliament.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, AQIS spokesman Usama Mahmoud tweeted on Wednesday that the Pakistani Navy personnel recruited in the attempted terror attack were similar to U.S. Army psychiatrist Nadal Hasan, who was convicted of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. Both sought, he said, to avenge the "bloodshed of Muslims."