Islamabad: Pakistan Taliban on Thursday threatened to attack Indian targets to avenge the execution of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab. The Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist was hanged till death, yesterday, for killing innocents on the streets of Mumbai on 26/11. The deadly terror strike on November 26, 2008 had killed 166 people and scarred hundreds other for life.

While the Pakistan government said that it has not received any request from Kasab’s family to bring back the body, the Pakistan Taliban has taken up the issue and demanded that his body be returned.

In an open threat, Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah said that his outfit has decided to target Indians. Speaking by telephone to news agency Reuters from an undisclosed location, Ehsan said, “We have decided to target Indians to avenge the killing of Ajmal Kasab.”

Ehsan demanded that India return Kasab’s body.

“If they don’t return his body to us or his family we will capture Indians and will not return their bodies,” he said, adding that the Taliban will try to strike Indian targets “anywhere”.

The Taliban, who are close to al Qaeda, are seen as one of the biggest security threats in Pakistan and are blamed for many of the suicide bombings across the country. They have not carried out major attacks abroad.

Kasab was charged with 86 offences, including murder and waging war against the Indian state, in charge-sheet running to more than 11,000 pages.

It was the first time a capital sentence had been carried out in India since 2004.