The Dhaka terror attack has a clear imprint of Pakistan/lashkar-e-Tayyaba (leT) even as the attackers had used hacking manual of ISIS to kill all the 20 hostages.
Initial Intelligence assessments here suggest there is clear Pak link to the attack and leT affiliates — Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islam (HuJI) or Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) that which claimed allegiance to ISIS — could have executed the terror strike with support from splinter groups of ISIS. Training of leT cadres as well as those from the al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent is imparted by the Pakistani agencies in the Af-Pak region. There are some training camps of ISIS in the region as well. The role of al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has also not been ruled out.
While taking hostage at an urban centre is a clear pattern of the leT, the elimination of hostages by hacking, not gunshots, is distinct style of the ISIS that has in fact developed an elaborate manual for such executions. Apart from Mumbai, the leT has carried out such attacks in urban settings in some hotels in African countries. After taking hostage, the leT cadres resort to indiscriminate firing and engage the security forces for hours together. Such attacks are generally reported in insurgency-hit Jammu & Kashmir.
The recovery of two Chinese pistols from the slain terrorists also point out that there could be some connection to the Northeast insurgent groups which are involved in smuggling of arms from China. Some insurgent groups especially from Rohingya community in Myanmar are also involved in smuggling of Chinese arms. The leT has been involved in fund raising for the Rohingiyas’ cause. The AQIS has also funded the Rohingyas by collecting donations for them.
Incidentally, the Singapore Government had arrested 27 and deported 26 Bangla nationals on suspicion that they were going to join ISIS. Apart from other things, the ISIS hacking manual was also recovered from their possession.