Jammu: After striking at Akshardham temple in 2002, Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) had planned suicide attacks in Ayodhya and then on Amarnath pilgrims to arouse communal passions and trigger riots but these did not work out as those on the mission were killed in an encounter, well-placed security sources said.

Citing examination of documents and a laptop computer recovered from a top LeT commander killed in Kashmir last month, they said the outfit could still be working on another plot to carry out a strike in Ayodhya, particularly at or around the disputed area, in view of religious sentiments attached to the place.

"LeT had planned a strike in Ayodhya in the run up to the anniversary of Babri mosque demolition on December 6," the sources told reporters.

However, the plan went haywire as two terrorists sent to carry out the strike were killed in an encounter in Tuglakhabad in South Delhi in November while on way to Ayodhya, they said on the basis of coded information contained in the documents, a laptop computer and digital diary of LeT commander Manzoor Zahid Choudhary.

Choudhary, LeT's chief coordinator for operations outside J and K, was killed by BSF on the outskirts of Budgam on August 8 following specific information.

The outfit then planned a strike on Amarnath pilgrims two months back, they said citing the documents.

A recce (dry run) was carried out by the outfit's leaders in Pahalgam base camp for the pilgrimage, on July 3. However, it is not clear why the strike was not carried out, they said, adding intense security arrangements might have deterred them.

Hailing from Lahore, Choudhary used to operate under various code names including Abu Marshad, Abu Nadeem, Abu Zeeshan, Munna and Abu Zarar, they said.

Based in South Kashmir, his wireless code was Manzoor, they said.

According to BSF (Border Security Force), Choudhary was also linked to Akshardham temple attack as it was he who had sent the fidayeens (suicide attackers) to Ahmedabad.

The sources said Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were high on target list of terrorists and these outfits had roped in some local fundamentalist organisations to help in their designs.

PTI