A Compilation of Pakistani Terrorist Attacks in India: 1989-2025 - Part I

Team NatStrat

This two-part chronology documents a timeline of major Pakistani attacks on Indian soil. The first part chronicles the period between 1989 and 2006, beginning with the 1993 Mumbai Bombings ending with the 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings. The second part recounts the 2008-2025 period, beginning with the 2008 Jaipur Blasts and ending with the massacre in Pahalgam in 2025.

Introduction

From 1989 to 2025, India faced numerous terrorist attacks linked to Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), often orchestrated with support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Major incidents include the 1993 Bombay Bombings (257 killed, ISI-backed D-Company), the 2008 Mumbai attacks (166 killed by LeT-trained militants) and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing (40 CRPF personnel killed by JeM militants). Pakistan’s military and the ISI facilitated cross-border infiltration, training camps and funding via narcotics, donations and direct support. The 1999 Kargil War, exposed in Nasim Zehra’s book, revealed unauthorised military aggression under General Pervez Musharraf, while attacks like the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2001 Parliament assault highlighted coordination by the ISI.

Despite convictions in India, Pakistan often denied involvement, shielded suspects like Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and delayed accountability. Tactics evolved from cross-border terrorism to religious extremism, targeting civilians and security forces to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir, exemplified by the 2025 Pahalgam attack conducted by LeT offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF). Persistent themes include the ISI’s role in recruitment, arms supply and propaganda, alongside Pakistan’s twin strategy of public denial and covert proxy warfare.

1993 Bombay (Mumbai, Maharashtra)

● Date: March 12, 1993

● Details: A series of 12 coordinated bomb explosions rocked Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring over 1,400. The attacks targeted major landmarks, including the Bombay Stock Exchange, Air India Building, and several hotels.  

● Pakistani Involvement: Investigations suggested the involvement of Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company, which had links to Pakistan's ISI. The RDX used in the bombings was sourced with their help, and some of the conspirators received training in Pakistan.

1996 Lajpat Nagar Blast (Delhi)

● Date: May 21, 1996

● Details: A bomb blast in the busy Lajpat Nagar market in Delhi killed 13 civilians and injured 39 others.  

● Pakistani Involvement: The Jammu Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF) claimed responsibility. Police investigations revealed the bombers were in close contact with Pakistan’s ISI. In 2012, a Delhi court convicted several members of JKIF for the blast, noting their links to the ISI.

1998 Coimbatore Bombings (Tamil Nadu)

● Date: February 14, 1998

● Details: A series of 12 bomb attacks in Coimbatore killed 58 people and injured over 200. The bombings occurred shortly before a rally by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani.

● Pakistani Involvement: While the perpetrators belonged to the local Islamist group Al-Umma, some reports suggested that groups like Al-Umma had become fertile ground for the activities of Pakistan’s ISI. The aim of the blasts was allegedly to disrupt commercial activities and target the BJP leader.

2000 Red Fort Attack (Delhi)

● Date: December 22, 2000

● Details: Terrorists attacked the historic Red Fort in Delhi, killing two soldiers and one civilian security guard.

● Pakistan Involvement: The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terrorist group, was identified as the perpetrator. Investigations found abandoned assault rifles and detonators with Urdu markings, pointing towards their Pakistani origin. Reports vary on the exact number, some suggest over 30.

1999 Kargil Conflict

● Nearly 20 years since the war ended, journalist Nasim Zehra has written an extraordinary tell-all book, From Kargil to the Coup: Events that Shook Pakistan (2018), making no bones about her “insider” eyewitness sources, a virtual who’s who of retired military officials: former Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf, Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmad, Lt. Gen. Gulzar Kiani, Lt. Gen. Javed Hassan, Lt. Gen. Amjad Shuaib, Brig. Syed Azhar Raza, Brig. Khalid Nazir. She also mentions some “critics” of the Kargil Operation—officially dubbed Operation Kohpaima (mountaineering trip)—who were the earliest to spill the beans on Kargil: former Chief of General Staff Gen. Ali Kuli Khan and Musharraf’s “blue-eyed boy,” Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz.

● Zehra’s book hands down a grim, and clear, verdict: “The country’s chief executive, the prime minister, had neither cleared the operation, nor was he taken in the loop by the Army chief. All SOPs [standard operating procedures] had been ignored.” Four officers, whom she calls the “Kargil clique,” actually put into practice the strategically toxic plan that had been brewing for years—ever since 1984 when India took control ofthe Siachen Glacier and the General Headquarters under General Zia-ul-Haq could do nothing to stop it. However, after the ouster of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, a new headiness prevailed and some senior officers began raising the possibility of an operation against India.

● The idea, at its core, was to “block India’s lifeline to its troops in Leh” in Kashmir by cutting off the National Highway route New Delhi was using to travel to-and-from Srinagar. According to Zehra, Musharraf’s appointment as Army Chief in October 1998 further gelled the idea based on the supposition that “the Indians would never fight back.” Even before being appointed the Army Chief, Musharraf, had advocated a military operation to resolve the Kashmir dispute, telling an incredulous Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1996, when he was Director General of Military Operations: “The time window for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute is short because with the passage of time the India-Pakistan equation, military as well as economic, is going against us.”

Jammu and Kashmir

Indian security forces in Kashmir. | The Hindu.

The modus operandi of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir between 1989 and 2000 involved a multifaceted approach aimed at destabilising the region, furthering separatist agendas, and undermining Indian sovereignty. Key elements of their operations included:

1. Recruitment and Training:

● Initial Local Recruitment: In the early years, many recruits were local Kashmiri youth, often motivated by socio-political grievances or religious ideologies.

● Pakistan-Based Training Camps: A significant number of recruits were sent to training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupiedKashmir. These camps, allegedly run by or with the support of the Pakistani military and the ISI, provided training in weapons handling (AK-47s, machine guns and explosives), tacticsand survival skills.

● Foreign Fighters: Gradually, the number of foreign fighters, primarily from Pakistan and Afghanistan (often with experience in the Afghan-Soviet War), increased. These fighters often took on leadership roles and brought more sophisticated training and ideologies.

2. Infiltration:

● Cross-Border Infiltration: Militants would infiltrate into Kashmir across the Line of Control (LoC). This was often facilitated by guides and took advantage of difficult terrain, forested areasand gaps in security.

● Support from Pakistan Military: The Pakistan Army provided cover fire, including artillery shelling, to aid the infiltration process.

● New Routes: As traditional infiltration routes became more robustlysecured by Indian forces, militants explored and utilised less-frequented routes, sometimes with the aid of GPS and maps.

3. Weapons and Funding:

● Arms Supply from Pakistan: Weapons, ammunition and explosives were primarily supplied from across the border, allegedly by the ISI. This included assault rifles, grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and later, more sophisticated equipmentlike encrypted communication systems.

● Financial Support: Funding for terrorist activities came through various channels, including:

-   Direct Funding from Pakistan: From the ISI and other Pakistani authorities.

-   Donations: From sympathetic individuals and organisations, often routed through Pakistan-based entities.

-   Narcotics Trafficking: Engaging in the drug trade to generate funds.

-   Extortion and Bank Robberies: Local fundraising through illegal means.

4. Tactics and Targets:

● Targeted Killings: Assassination of political leaders, government officials, security personnel and civilians perceived as being against the militant cause, including Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs.

● Massacres: Organised killings of groups of civilians to spread fear and achieve ethnic cleansing in certain areas.

● Bombings and IED Attacks: Planting explosives in public places, markets and near security installations.

● Kidnappings and Hijackings: Taking hostages for ransom or to secure the release of arrested terrorists, gaining media attention and leverage.

● Guerilla Warfare: Ambushes on security forces, hit-and-run attacks, and utilising the difficult terrain for cover.

● Propaganda and Psychological Warfare: Spreading fear and misinformation through media and local networks to demoralise the population and security forces.

5. Organisational Structure and Coordination:

● Hierarchical Structure: Most groups had a hierarchical structure with commanders, trainers and field operatives.

● Inter-Group Coordination: While rivalries existed, there were also instances of coordination between different terroristgroups, sometimes facilitated by the ISI.

● Use of Overground Workers (OGWs): Local sympathisers provided logistical support, including shelter, reconnaissance and communication channels.

6. Shifting Objectives and Groups:

● Early Separatism vs. Pro-Pakistan Ideology: Initially, the JKLF advocated for an independent Kashmir. However, Pakistan shifted its support towards groups like Hizb-ul Mujahideen, LeT and JeM, which favored integration with Pakistan or establishing an Islamic state.

● Rise of Foreign Fighters: The increasing prominence of foreign fighters led to a more religiously-motivated and pan-Islamic dimension to the conflict.

1999 IC-814 Hijack 

Pakistan’s Involvement:

● Nationalities of Hijackers: The five hijackers were identified by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs as Pakistani nationals–Ibrahim Athar (from Bahawalpur), Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry (all three from Karachi), and Shakir (from Sukkur).

● HuM’s Base: Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was based out of Pakistan.

● Planning in Kathmandu: Investigations suggested the hijacking was planned over two months, with the hijackers and associates making multiple trips to Kathmandu, which was reportedly a hub for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and illegal activities.

● Facilitation: Underworld operative Dawood Ibrahim, who had strong links to Pakistan, allegedly facilitated access to the airport for the hijackers.

● Lack of Cooperation: The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stated that while Nepal and the UAE provided exemplary help during the investigation, the Pakistan Government offered no cooperation. Arrest warrants for the remaining accused were sent to Islamabad for extradition, but as perreports, these individuals, including the five hijackers, remained in Pakistan.

● ISI Orchestration Allegations: Former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief A.S. Dulat stated that there was “no doubt that the ISI had a role” in the hijacking, citing intelligence reports and a Pakistani journalist in Kandahar who reported the ISI was orchestrating the operation. G Parthasarathy, India’s then High Commissioner to Pakistan, had also asserted it was “totally Pakistani involvement,” with the hijackers being Pakistani and the individuals they sought released also being Pakistani.

● Taliban’s Role and Pakistan: While the Taliban controlled Kandahar where the aircrafteventually landed and acted as mediators, there were allegations of Pakistani support for the hijackers. Reports indicated the presence of ISI officers on the ground in Kandahar.

2001 Parliament Attack

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying his respects to the victims of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, December 2023. | X/@narendramodi.

Pakistan’s Involvement:

● Terrorist Group Origin: The five terrorists who attacked the Parliament were identified as Pakistani nationals and belonged to JeM, an organisation known to operate from and receive support in Pakistan.

● Instructions from Pakistan: Delhi Police stated that the terrorists received instructions from Pakistan and the operation was carried out under the guidance of the ISI.

● Training in Pakistan: Investigations revealed that Mohammad Afzal Guru, a key conspirator, had received training in a camp run by the  ISI in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

● Facilitation by Pakistan-based Operative: Afzal Guru stated that he was assigned the task by a Pakistani national, Gazi Baba of JeM.

2002 Akshardham Bombings

Pakistan’s Involvement:

● Terrorists’ Identity and Origin: The two terrorists who carried out the attack were identified as Murtaza Hafiz Yasin and Ashraf Ali Mohammad Farooq. While their nationalities were not immediately definitively stated as Pakistani, investigations pointed towards their connection to theLeT.

● Letters Found: Two letters written in Urdu were found on the attackers, claiming they belonged to a previously unknown group called Tehreek-e-Qisas-Gujarat (Movement for Revenge in Gujarati). However, intelligence sources suggested a link to existing Pakistan-based terrorist proxies operating on the border.

● Arrests and Confessions: Subsequent investigations and arrests of those who provided logistical support revealed connections to the LeT. For instance, one arrested suspect, Mohammad Yasin Bhat, allegedly an LeT operative and described as a prime conspirator, confessed to having fled to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the attack. He was accused of supplying the weapons used in the attack.

● Training and Planning: Investigations indicated that the conspiracy for the attack was hatched with the involvement of LeT operatives. Some arrested individuals were reported to have received training with Pakistan-based terror outfits before the attack.

● Absconding Accused: Several other accused in the Akshardham bombing case remained absconding for years, with some believed to have fled to Pakistan.

2005 Delhi Bombings

Pakistan’s Involvement:

● Judge’s opinion: Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender said that although the prosecution had ascribed meaning to general words like ‘plot’, ‘khet’, ‘fasal’, ‘paani’, among others, in his telephonic conversation, “the possibility of any enthusiastic police officer misinterpreting plain and simple words on account of suspicion and overzealous approach cannot be ruled out”. “I am of the considered opinion that [a] shadow of doubt appears upon the prosecution version and the evidence available on record is not of sterling quality to hold accused Trilochan Singh liable for the commission of offence punishable under section 18 (conspiracy for terrorist acts) and 20 (membership of terrorist organisation) of UAPA and under section of Arms Act,”the judge said. 

● Verdict: According to police, nine persons were accused, out of which eight pleaded guilty. Two acquitted, one convicted.

● ISI Involvement: Available evidence suggests that the Babbar Khalsa is part of a terrorist network sponsored by Germany-based terrorist groups as well as Pakistan’s external intelligence agency—the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)—to revive terrorism in the Indian Punjab. Media reports in August 2001 said a joint committee was formed in Germany to coordinate the activities of major terrorist organisations abroad. The ISI is also reportedly keen on forging coordination between Khalistani terrorists, terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and some fundamentalist groups. The police had registered the FIR alleging that the accused persons were connected to Babbar Khalsa International. It was alleged that Babbar Khalsa International had negotiated with theLeT, and conspired to overawe the Indian Government.

● Arrests and Trials in India: A Delhi court hadacquitted a man accused of being a member of alleged terror organisation Babbar Khalsa International in relation to the 2005 Satyam Cinema and Liberty Cinema bomb blasts, saying police miserably failed to prove the case beyond a shadow of doubt.

2006 Mumbai Train Bombings 

A series of seven blasts took place over a period of 11 minutes on 11 July, 2006 during evening rush hour on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay), the capital city of Maharashtra. In the blasts around 209 people lost their lives and over 800 were injured. Perpetrators were terrorist outfits- Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Charges filed by the ATS in November 2006 alleged that 4 of the 13 men were Pakistani and had entered India illegally. The ATS also alleged that the Indian men among the 13 accused had posed as Shiʿah pilgrims to Iran and instead traveled to Pakistan for training. It named the Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, India and other countries, including the United States) as having masterminded the bombings and provided arms and training to the accused men. The ATS charges, however, featured a notable omission: They did not specify the use of pressure cookers in the deployment of the bombs.

Pakistan’s Involvement:

● Terrorists’ Identity and Origin: ATS alleged that 4 of the 13 men were Pakistani and had entered India illegally. ATS also alleged that the Indian men among the 13 accused had posed as Shiʿah pilgrims to Iran and instead traveled to Pakistan for training. Members of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India were the key conspirators of the blast and some Pakistani nationals were also involved. The charge sheet said Mohammed Majid Shafi had arranged for transportation of Pakistani nationals to India via the Bangladesh and Nepal border and back after the blasts.

● Planning and Direction: LeT masterminded the bombings and provided arms and training to the accused men. 

● ISI Involvement: SIMI developed links with Jihadi groups in Pakistan and played into the hands of the ISI. Mumbai's police chief alleged that the ISI was behind the Mumbai bombings. Pakistan immediately denied the claims and demanded evidence.

● Arrests and Trials in India: In September 2015 the MCOCA court delivered its verdict: 12 of the 13 men were found guilty on charges of waging war against India, conspiracy, and murder. The 13th was acquitted. Of the 12 convicted, 5 (Kamal Ahamed Ansari, Mohammed Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddiqui, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan: those accused of planting the bombs) were given a death sentence, and 7 (Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, Mohammad Majid Shafi, Shaikh Alam Shaikh, Mohammed Sajid Ansari, Muzzammil Shaikh, Soheil Mehmood Shaikh and Zamir Ahmad Shaikh: those accused of providing tactical and logistical support) were sentenced to life in prison. As of 2025 the death sentences had not been carried out because of delays in the legal process, primarily the Maharashtra government’s failure to appoint a special public prosecutor for appeals to the High Court. In January 2025 the Bombay High Court finally heard appeals from the 12 convicted men, who have been in prison since their arrests in 2006.

End of Part I of the two-part chronology. Read Part II here.

(Exclusive to NatStrat)