Islamic Terrorist Groups in India

Types of Islamic Groups active in J & K

Fundamentalist (Deobandis) Follows 4 Muslim Imams (religious leaders)

a) Harkat-ul-Mujahideen b) Hizb-ul-Mujahideen c) Jaish–e-Mohammed

Non Fundamentalist (Wahabi) LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) does not follow the 4 Imams and is more independent .

All these terrorist Organizations are an offspring of the Anti- Soviet Afghanistan Jihadis.

Psyche of a Terrorist

One of Maulana Azhar‘s speech runs as follows:

“O Babri Masjid we are ashamed. We will not rest till you are restored. Dead are martyrs – Allah’s guests – married to the Hoors of Jannah! The infidels are trying to efface Islam from the face of the earth. The youth on the true road to Islam must be willing to wield AK-47, Pistols, Rocket Launchers. We have to liberate Kashmir from Indian rule. We want Islam to rule the world. We want the destruction of USA & India.

Allah has ordered this Jihad. The Fidayeen (suicide) attacks on Indian soil was intended to warn India to withdraw its forces from J&K and stop the farce of talks. We reject Democracy. Only the Allah is sovereign.

Name: Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen

Other/ Legal names – HUM (Al Faran) Leader – Maulana Fazlur Rahman Khalil (Shahbaz Khan–founder) HQ in – Pakistan Estb in year -1993 Members – made of only foreign militants from Egypt, Sudan, Saudi, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Pakistan, Afghanistan Strength – More than 1000 Major Acts – killing armed forces personnel & civilians in the valley Misc Info – Harkat ul Mujahideen joined up with Harkat-Ul-Jehad- Islami to form Harkat ul Ansar (1993 Oct)

Name: Lashkar-e-Toiba

Other/ Legal names – (Markaz Dawa Wal Irshad) now called Jamiatul Dawah after it has banned Leader – Hafiz Mohd Saeed, now Maulana Abdul Wahid HQ in Lahore, base camp in Muzaffarabad (Pakistan) Estb in year – 1991 Members made of Afghans and Pakistanis Strength – 500-1000 Major Acts - attack on Red Fort attack on HQ 11 JKLI in Poonch by 12 militants on 5 Feb, 1993 (2 soldiers died) Babri Masjid on 6 Dec 1992 Indian Parliament Attack (7 dead, 11 injured). Misc Info – Hafiz Saeed was a professor

Markaz Dawa wal Irshad:

Vice Chancellor – Zafar Iqbal 2000 students in military uniforms study in 200 acres of land. No music or cigarettes are allowed in the campus.

• Within the campus are Residential quarters, the teaching building, the Mosque, medical facilities, ponds for breeding fish and stables for breeding horses

• Finances of Rs. 30 Millon were procured as follows: 1 crore for Mosque came from Osama 1 crore from a Saudi Sheikh 1 crore from a Saudi trader, Ahmed

Weapons

Chinese Anti Aircraft guns, Stingers missiles, 60 mm mortars for buildings, bridges – upto 2.5 km already pushed into J&K.

Training Camp

is held in Kunnar, Afganistan – “Masada or Lions Den” The camp comprises of:

• 21 day basic course in training in arms, RL (Rocket Launchers), SAM (Surface to Air Missiles), Stingers and

• 3 month Advanced course in Guerilla warfare.

There are 1000 offices all over Pakistan. The Organization has the following structure.

The group works under Politico / Religious cover Institute, Markaz dawa wal Irshad (centre for religious learning), where the Leaders motivate and instigate with religious sermons in mosques.

Name: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)

Other / Legal names – Leader - Maulana Masoor Azhar (Religious motivator & Leader) Omar Sheikh (Trg and Arms Instructor) and Mushtaq Zargar (Recruitment)

HQ in Islamabad, Pakistan Estb in year – 2000 after Hijack IC-814 Members made of mostly J&K locals, some foreign militants Strength – 500-1000 Major Acts – Srinagar Assembly bombing, IC – 814 Hijack along with JKHM Misc Info –Maulana Azhar is originally a jounalist. Omar Sheikh was involved in kidnapping and killing of Daniel Pearl, correspondent of Wall street. Mushtaq Zargar was head of Al-Umar.

Name: Hizb-ul-Mujahideen / JKHM

Other / legal names – JKHM Leader – Syed Salahuddin (Yousef Shah), Sec Gen, Majid Darr HQ in POK, Indigenous Estb in year 1989, 1991, Reorganised Members made of mostly local, some foreign militants Strength – 1500 active only Major Acts -

• Hijack of IC-814 on 24 Dec 1999 for exchange of Maulana Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh & Mushtaq Zargar. IC 814 was hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar (Afghanistan), where Taliban negotiated and Jaswant Singh himself delivered them.

• Assasination Attempt of Gen KV Krishna Rao, Governor of Kashmir, Jan 1995

• JKHM destroyed tel transmission tower in Banihal cutting STD for many months in Nov 92

Misc Info – Yousef Shah is originally a school teacher and a political figure in Srinagar. Sajjad Afghani of Kashmir JKHM died during escaping from prison. Mushtaq Zargar was head of Al-Umar (Srinagar) 10 Feb 94 – Azhar and Sajjad were arrested. Organization – the organization is divided into the Revenue wing, intelligence wing, recruitment wing offices, training wing, launching wing (for ops) and the social wing (handling education and medical welfare).

Military Wing has Divisions, Battalions, Companys and Platoons. The Central Command is made up of one division (2-3 Districts are under one div). Training -

Sayed saw the training in Afghanistan & modernised the training in the Valley. Training Areas are likely to be based in areas around Pooch, Doda, Rajouri and Pirpanjal Mountain (between J&K) Negotiations -

In July 2000 a ceasefire was announced & they were ready to talk to New Delhi but with Pakistan. Intention was refused because of leadership problems between Majid Darr (Secretary General) and Saed (Commander).

Breakup into Factions – Abdul Majid Darr, the former Chief of the organisation had announced a unilateral ceasefire in July 2000, earning the ire of the ISI and Syed Salaudin. He entered into an unsuccessful dialogue with the center. He was removed from the command by Syed and replaced with Saif-ul-Islam, as Chief of Operations since he was pro peace. This led to splitting of Hizb into two factions, one headed by Darr. Darr was looking for a safe route to Pakistan across the border to join his followers in Tarbela, Pakistan. In Mar 2003, he was shot dead by two assailants in Baramulla. Saif-ul- Islam was also killed in an encounter on 2 April 2003 with J & K Police and the BSF.

Name: JeI (Jamat-e-Islami)

Is the political partner of Hizb–ul-Mujahideen, Represents the largest of religious parties of Pakistan Leader – Maulana Saeed–ud–Din, who inspired Syed Salauddin Present chief is Qazi Hussain Ahmad. HQ is in Srinagar Re-estb in year 1994, previously estb in 1941

Other Small Orgs are

• Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DIM) Chief – Syeda Indrabi (woman) in 1987 • Taliban – headed by Mullah Mohd Omar

There are over 154 militant orgs in J & K

New Organizations

• Al Qaeda • Black Commando • K-2 Regt

Separatist J & K Group Leaders

The Captains of the ‘Quit J&K Movement’ in India are • Syed Ali Shah Geelani is the leader of the All Party Hurriyat Conference with the battle cry ‘India cannot be trusted’. He was arrested on Aug 3, 2010 • Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is currently under house arrest and calls for civil disobediance while endorsing the protests. • Masarat Alam is on the frontlines after Geelani’s arrest and spearheads a cyber war against the Indian Government using blogs, tweets and videos. • Aasiyeh Andrabi heads the women’s speratist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat and supports the Hurriyat Conference and is the wife of arrested top militant leader. She is now underground but issues regular statements supporting the Hurriyat’s ‘Quit J&K Movement’

Major Terrorist Events In India in recent years

• early 1990 – Attack Red Fort – LET • early 1990 – Blasts North Block, Sena Bhavan • Nov 1992 – JKHM – Banihal – Sabotage of Telephone transmission tower, cutting STD for many months

• 6 Dec 1992 – Babri Masjid • 5 Feb 1993 – HQ 11 Jammu Kashmir Light Infantry

Attacked – 12 militants – 2 soldiers dead • 10 Feb 1994 – arrest of Sajjad & Azhar of JKHM • 26 Jan 1995 – Aborted Attack Kashmir Governor, Former COAS, K V Krishna Rao escaped, 12 dead – JKHM • 24 Dec 1999 – Hijack IC 814 & exchange of Maulana Masood Azhar & Omar Sheikh & Mustaq Zargar • 3 Nov 1999 – HQ 15 Corps explosion – Red maruti with explosives crashed into gate • 1 Oct 2001 – J & K Assembly Attack, Srinagar – Tata Sumo – 39 dead • 13 Dec 2001 – Indian Parliament attack – LET, 7 dead, 18 Injured • 22 Sept 2002 – Elections Srinagar • 2 terrorists kept 3 cops including one DSP as hostage in a house. (hostages escaped). RL assault by cops finished 2 terrorists. • 24 Sept 2002 – Akshardham temple, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat state – 2 terrorists entered (LeT – under guise of unknown Tehreke Khas-Gujarat (revenge for Gujarat riots) and killed civilians; 70 injured and 30 dead. NSG stormed at 1.30am night, by 6.30am over – RL, grenades – 4 state cdos dead.

• 13 May 2002 – SIMI caused sabotage by breaking a rail track causing derailment of passenger train track in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. 13 train compartments were thrown into the air and dragged off the rails.

• 29 October 2005 – New Delhi – During Diwali, 3 explosions in crowded market and one in public transport bus. 66 dead and 220 were injured.

• 07 March 2006 – Varanasi – Series of bombings at Hanuman Temple, Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station and inside stationary train. 28 dead and 101 injured. Lashkar Kahaar, Qahab terrorist group responsible.

• 11 July 2006 – Mumbai – 7 bomb explosions over a period of 11 minutes on Suburban Railways. 209 dead and 700 injured. LeT and SIMI responsible according to Mumbai Police.

• 25 August 2007 – Hyderabad, AP – Two bombs exploded in Lumbini Amusement Park and Gokul Chat Bhandar restaurant. HuJI Militant outfit of Bangladesh suspected. • 13 May 2008 – Jaipur – 9 bombs exlpoded near Hawa Mahal – 63 dead and 216 injured. Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility and HuJI suspected. • 25 July 2008 – Bangalore – 9 low intensity gelatin bombs with mobile phone triggers exploded killing 2 and injuring 20 others. • 26 July 2008 – Ahmedabad – Serial blasts – Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for this attack. • 13 September 2008 – New Delhi – 5 bombs exploded at busy markets and commercial locations. 30 dead and 100 injured. • 27 September 2008 – New Delhi – Mehrauli Flower Market. 3 dead and 23 injured using crude tiffin box, cardboard bombs. Two Bangladeshis were arrested in West Bengal. • 26 November 2008 – Mumbai – 8 coordinated shootings and bombings in South Mumbai by 10 Pakistani terrorists, killing 166 and injuring 304. One terrorist caught and is facing trial and remaining died. • 13 Feb 2010 – Pune – German Bakery – 16 dead and 60 injured. Indian Mujahideen operative Salman Ansari arrested as suspect.

Bottom Note – Azad Kashmir refers to POK ( Pak Occupied Kashmir )