Click to play videoNew Delhi: India in on al-Qaeda's radar, warns a new video featuring the terror groups' No 3 Mustafa Abu al-Yazid.
Yazid warns India of more 26/11-type terror strikes if New Delhi tries to attack Pakistan. Ironically, Yazid was declared killed by Pakistan in an army operation in August 2008.
"India should know that it will have to pay a heavy price if it attacked Pakistan. The mujahideen will sunder your armies into the ground, like they did to the Russians in Afghanistan. We will bring mujahideen and suicide attackers from all over the Muslim world to confront you. They will target your economic centre and raze them to the ground," Yazid says in the video.
Intelligence analysts say India must sit up and take notice of Yazid's message threatening India of dire consequences if it retaliates against Pakistan.
"This is a very serious message coming from the Pakistani security establishment. The timing is very significant. it is happening at a time when rhetoric again is picking up in India-Pakistan relations," says MK Bhadrakumar, a former diplomat and security analyst.
It is not just the message but the messenger that has intelligence agencies in India more worried.
Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, who is al-Qaeda's No 1 in Pakistan, was declared killed in an army operation in Bajaur in September 2008.
There were six other false claims in 2008 including al-Qaeda's No 2 Ayman Al Zawahiri supposedly killed in May 14 in an airstrike in South Waziristan. He appeared on a video a week later
Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was also rumoured to be dead on September 30 but was seen celebrating his birthday on October 4.
Pakistani Taliban's deputy commander Faqir Muhammad was declared killed in a battle in Bajaur. He, however, appeared a day later in front of the media.
The message of defending Pakistan coming from a group like al-Qaeda just days after Pakistani Taliban's similar statement will only substantiate doubts of a nexus between the terror groups and Pakistani establishment.
It is a fear echoed even by the Polish President after a Polish engineer was beheaded by the Taliban recently.
But India says it's is prepared to face any threat from any quarter.
"I can tell you whatever threats from any quarters and any type, our armed forces are always ready to face it," says Defence Minister AK Antony.
But is the US that considers Pakistan an ally in the war on terror now prepared to call its bluff.
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