TERRORS AN ART

New Delhi, June 07: Recruitment camps in Pakistan prepare tougher courses for spreading hate. Devise commando training manual to take on Indian security forces

If the image of Ajmal Amir Qasab raining bullets at the CST station with a smirk on his face shook you, then you should know Qasab is among the new breed of terrorists being prepared by Pakistan to carry out attacks on India.

Highly-placed sources in the intelligence agencies have told MiD DAY that the terror masters are putting in a lot of thought in designing modules for training new recruits much like the special forces of many countries. Apart from the basic training, which is imparted to every member, a recruit is chosen for a particular mission based upon his strengths and then sent for special training.

In the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, MiD DAY had reported how those who carried out the attack learnt sea-tricks at a Pakistani Navy facility in Badin where Islamabad trains its best marine commandos.

"The training programmes have become extensive and aim-specific. The training was already divided into batches and semesters but now it has become more mission and purpose oriented. It has become selective in nature with the entire focus on preparing commandos who can bring an entire city on its knees for a few days," said an Intelligence Bureau (IB) official, requesting anonymity.

Past practices
Earlier, the terrorists were given two-tier training for using arms and explosives, infiltration, avoiding detection and carrying out mass killings. But under the new training regime only those youngsters who prove their mental and physical fitness are allowed to go for advanced training.

The training begins with the basic foundation or Tasis course, which is more into religious teachings and gives a very basic insight of further training. While the stipulated time for this stage is one month, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) insists on completing it in three weeks (21 days). The first round is followed by a three-month capsule course called Al-Raad that aims at making the terror cadet physically fitter and mentally tougher. "An important aspect of this stage is continuous brain washing of the cadre through propaganda. They are shown video tapes and given material to read about their enemy to fuel their imagination," the sources said.

The specialists
Almost all the terror cadres are made to go through these two stages, but beyond this, cadets are divided into groups for specialised training keeping in mind the requirement for specific missions. "For example, in case of Ajmal Amir Qasab, the group was specially trained for marine operations which are amongst the most difficult military operations. The third training programme known as Guerrilla is meant only for those who have to perform actual operations in sea, land, jungle or an urban scenario," said the officer.

After Guerrilla training, recruits are then initiated into another advanced course.