India, March 29 -- The U.S. Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan research arm that provides policy analysis and briefings to the U.S. Congress, on 25 March released a detailed assessment identifying Pakistan-based terrorist groups oriented towards India, including Jammu and Kashmir, outlining their strength, presence and objectives. The report categorises these organisations within an "India- and Kashmir-oriented" cluster, distinct from globally aligned, Afghanistan-focused and domestic groups, and notes that many remain designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under U.S. law.

Lashkar-e-Taiba, formed in the late 1980s and led by Hafiz Saeed, is described as one of the most capable outfits, with "several thousand fighters." ...