LeT suspected to be behind attack

As efforts are on to identify the group behind Tuesday's terror attack at the makeshift temple in Ayodhya, security agencies suspect the hand of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba outfit in it.

LeT has been planning to target the makeshift temple for long and one such plot had been uncovered when the Border Security Force killed a top leader of the outfit in Kashmir in 2003, security sources said.

After striking the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar in 2002, LeT had planned a suicide attack in Ayodhya to arouse communal passions and trigger riots the same year, ahead of the anniversary of demolition of the disputed structure, they said.

The plan, however, could not be executed as the terrorists assigned the task were killed in an encounter with Delhi Police in Tughlakhabad in South Delhi in November 2002 while they were on their way to Ayodhya.

The plot came to light after the BSF killed LeT militant Manzoor Zahid Choudhary in Budgam in Kashmir on August 8, 2002 following specific information. The plan was contained in the documents and laptop computer recovered from Zahid, the sources said.

Examination of the same also disclosed the outfit's plan to carry out a suicide attack on Amarnath pilgrims that year.