nongaddarliberal
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Don't you think the Taliban is coming back to power sooner or later?
Afghanistan - News & Discussions
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Deathstar
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Nope , i dont think so , Taliban has also realised that fighting is futile and talks is the only solution , if they come back to power , Americans will again send them to hell , Taliban has even agreed to Indian investments in Afghanistan , we have our back channels open with them, this isnt the Taliban of the 90s
sorcerer
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Too much at stake.Talk in Russia with Bangladesh and India as "interested bystanders".
Taliban will be lured to power and I see much infighting and a total fall!
Army Plunges Taliban Revenue Sources In Afghanistan. Frees Nephrite Mine From Taliban
Home ⁄ Afghanistan ⁄ Army plunges Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan. Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
8TH JULY 2019
ARMY PLUNGES TALIBAN REVENUE SOURCES IN AFGHANISTAN. FREES NEPHRITE MINE FROM TALIBAN
newscommuniquecom 0 Comment Afghanistan
Army plunges Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan. Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
Recently Afghanistan Army raided a Nephrite Mine in a far-flung area and freed it from Taliban Control. Taliban Terrorists were controlling the illegal mining activity and smuggling Nephrite to Pakistan. Once the crude stone reaches Pakistan, the stone is processed, cut and carved and later on exported to US, Europe and China. This was a big revenue source for Taliban Terrorists for strengthening their Terror infrastructure in Afghanistan.
Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium and iron-rich amphibole minerals. It is one of two different mineral species called jade. Nephrite jade is an ornamental stone used in carvings, beads, or cabochon cut gemstones. Nephrite is also widely used in China for its healing properties.
Afghanistan Army Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
However, this recent raid by Afghanistan Army on the Nephrite Mine and taking control of the mine from Taliban, put the focus on a plethora of sources of Terrorist Taliban revenue. As per an expert, there are different sources of revenue for Taliban that is allowing them to procure sophisticated arms and abundant supply of ammunition and explosives. How does Taliban finance their Terror activities? How does Taliban keep on sending suicide bombers and terrorists to kill innocent civilians? Why does Taliban Terrorists want to take control of parts of Afghanistan that are remote with barren land and without any human life sustaining resources like water?
Afghanistan is rich in minerals and hydrocarbon deposits. As per the expert, the estimated value of Afghanistan’s mineral and hydrocarbon deposits is more than $1 trillion. Afghan Taliban and other jihadi groups have penetrated in nearly every aspect of the Afghanistan’s lucrative extractives industry. The Taliban exploit mining sites in at least 14 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and now earn as much as $200 to $300 million annually, the second-largest revenue stream after narcotics.
As per the expert, the Taliban’s increased footprint in Afghanistan and formalized their role in the mining sector by creating the Dabaro Comisyoon, or “Stones Commission.” It substantially enhanced their war chest. The Commission manages the taxation of extracted minerals and ores and even issues ‘official’ Taliban sanctioned mining licenses. The Dabaro Comisyoon operates under the authority of the Taliban’s Maali Comisyoon (“Financial Commission”) and reportedly came into existence around 2009 as the Taliban began to experiment in diversifying their revenue streams. The Maali Comisyoon oversees and manages the financial flow of many of the Taliban’s illicit revenue streams, including mining activities, kidnapping for ransom, and extorting NGOs.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) previously estimated that Afghanistan’s known mineral deposits tops $1 trillion—$908 billion in mineral resources and more than $200 billion in hydrocarbon deposits
The Afghanistan Anti-Corruption Network (AACN) reported in February 2017 that ISIS-KP and the Taliban earned $46 million in 2016 from illegally extracting talc, a soft mineral used in the manufacturing of cosmetics, from Nangarhar’s Khogyani District.
The Taliban are now involved in the illegal extraction of minerals, ores, and precious and semi-precious stones, and they reportedly own several mining and excavation businesses in southern Afghanistan.
Taliban were reported, by the Afghan government envoy to Helmand in June 2016, to earn between $50,000 and $60,000 per day ($18.5 million and $21.9 million per year) from mining and transporting marble in the province. In addition, they were estimated to make as much as $16 million from unlicensed ruby extraction in Kabul as early as 2014 and $6 million in 2016 from mining the gemstone lapis lazuli in Badakhshan Province. While those approximations pertain to only three provinces, one Afghan expert on the extractives industry assessed that out of the estimated $2 billion generated overall each year from Afghan mining operations, the Taliban currently stand to earn 10 to 15 percent, or $200 to $300 million per annum.
By contrast, the Afghan government reportedly earned only $30 million from mining revenues in 2015, a paltry sum compared to the current estimated revenues of the Taliban from mining
US ending combat mission and its implications
The United States formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. The NATO mission in Afghanistan was renamed Resolute Support and focused on training, advising, and assisting the Afghan National Security Defense Forces (ANDSF), which, at that point, assumed responsibility for all security operations. Since the transition, the Taliban have continued to make territorial gains throughout the country and deeply involved itself in the illegal mining activities.
Local media and sources in 2016 identified at least 1,400 illegal mining sites located in at least 14 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces—710 of which are in the Kabul area alone—that are exploited by the Taliban and other Terrorist organizations. Overall, there are some 10,000 mineral deposits reportedly located in areas outside of the government’s control. In June 2016, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior acknowledged the challenges associated with illegal mining activities and claimed that the Afghan government had stopped 1,270 illegal mining operations. However, no evidence was provided as to when and where those illegal mining operations had been disrupted and how many mines are still under Taliban control.
Taliban charging tax from trucks used to transport mined stones
Trucks used for illegal smuggling of Nephrite from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
As per the locals, the Taliban charge a tax for each truck used to transport the mined stones, and depending on the type of marble being transported, the tax ranges from 25,000 Pakistani rupees to 60,000 Pakistani rupees per ton. Trucks can carry between 7 and 40 tons each, depending on the type of vehicle. The U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team reported in 2015 that between 2008 and 2014, mining operations extracted 124,000 to 155,000 tons of marble from Helmand each year.
Sources in Helmand also estimated that around 80-100 trucks are used to smuggle hundreds of tons of marble from Helmand into Pakistan every day, while only two percent of Helmand’s extracted marble end up in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, where the marble is further processed and sold. Of the meager two percent of marble that remains in Afghanistan, the government is only able to tax 3,500 afghanis per ton. These activites are another big revenue sources for Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Dabaro Comisyoon is also tasked with managing the revenues earned from taxing mining companies and those tasked with transporting the stones throughout the country (and not only in Helmand Province). It also maintains relations with Pakistani businessmen who help facilitate the black-market sale of Afghanistan’s illegally excavated natural resources. In this way Pakistan also makes Billions per year by partnering with Taliban Terrorists. These Billions of Dollars earned by Pakistan by processing and exporting illegally obtained natural resources and precious stones are then used to further strengthen their Terror Infrastructure.
Illegal Mining of Nephrite Near Kabul
Illegal and unregulated mining activities are not only restricted to isolated rural areas outside the Afghanistan government’s control. The village of Nili, located in Parwan Province—approximately 25 miles from Kabul City and 12 miles from the U.S. base at Bagram Airfield—is reportedly a hub for the illegal mining of nephrite jade, a decorative stone used in ornaments and jewelry. Taliban Terrorists controlled mining operations in Nili for most of 2016. The jade is trafficked through the mountains by mules until it reaches Sarobi District, Kabul Province, where it is then transferred to trucks and transported farther east to markets in Pakistan.
Illegal Mining of Rubies in Sarobi District, Afghanistan
Sarobi itself is also illegally exploited for its precious stones, mostly rubies. Taliban Terrorists have controlled a mountainous area near the village of Jegdalek in Sarobi District since 2012. Reports emerged that the Taliban had coerced locals to illegally mine the mountains for rubies. One such high-quality ruby extracted there allegedly sold for $600,000 to a buyer in Dubai, UAE. Despite an Afghan security operation codenamed “Iron Triangle” that successfully routed Terrorists from several parts of Sarobi in 2015, the illegal extraction and smuggling of rubies from Sarobi continued unabated in 2016. Most of the precious stones illegally extracted from mines in Kabul are smuggled to Peshawar, Pakistan; the rubies are typically sorted for quality and sold in the gem stalls of Peshawar’s Namak Mandi market. These are big Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan.
This is how FATF Grey Listed Pakistan is a part of a big network of exploiting natural resources and precious stones illegally from the mines located in Afghanistan. Pakistan pays a meagre amount for these precious resources, but then refines them and sells them at exorbitant prices to buyers around the world.
Narcotics as source of Revenue for Taliban
Illicit cultivation of Poppy and Narcotics, a big revenue source for Taliban
In the southern province of Helmand, since 2014, the illegal cultivation, processing, and trafficking of narcotics has remained a critical financial resource for the Taliban. The Taliban dominate many aspects of Helmand’s thriving, multi-billion narcotics industry, which revolves around the illicit cultivation of poppy, which, in turn, is used to produce opium and refined heroin as well as the cultivation of cannabis. This is used to create hashish, a potent marijuana resin. The U.N. estimates that the Taliban earned $400 million from the narcotics industry in 2016.
Action Plan for Afghan Army to plunge sources of revenue for Taliban
We spoke with one of the Afghan nationals. He believed that Afghanistan Government and Afghanistan Army needs to take control of all the illegal mines. They should stop the illegal activities to plunge all Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan that fund the Taliban Terrorists besides that also fund the FATF Grey Listed Pakistan. He suggested that, to start with, confiscate all the trucks involved in illegal smuggling of Natural resources and precious stones from Afghanistan to Pakistan. He also suggested to increase border patrols and start border surveillance using drones to stop illegal smuggling of Afghanistan resources to Pakistan. Until this is done, Taliban Terrorists will continue to earn millions of dollars. They will continue sending their Terrorists to spread fear among the Afghan civilians.
https://news-communique.com/index.p...afghanistan-frees-nephrite-mine-from-taliban/
Home ⁄ Afghanistan ⁄ Army plunges Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan. Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
8TH JULY 2019
ARMY PLUNGES TALIBAN REVENUE SOURCES IN AFGHANISTAN. FREES NEPHRITE MINE FROM TALIBAN
newscommuniquecom 0 Comment Afghanistan
Army plunges Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan. Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
Recently Afghanistan Army raided a Nephrite Mine in a far-flung area and freed it from Taliban Control. Taliban Terrorists were controlling the illegal mining activity and smuggling Nephrite to Pakistan. Once the crude stone reaches Pakistan, the stone is processed, cut and carved and later on exported to US, Europe and China. This was a big revenue source for Taliban Terrorists for strengthening their Terror infrastructure in Afghanistan.
Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium and iron-rich amphibole minerals. It is one of two different mineral species called jade. Nephrite jade is an ornamental stone used in carvings, beads, or cabochon cut gemstones. Nephrite is also widely used in China for its healing properties.
Afghanistan Army Frees Nephrite mine from Taliban
However, this recent raid by Afghanistan Army on the Nephrite Mine and taking control of the mine from Taliban, put the focus on a plethora of sources of Terrorist Taliban revenue. As per an expert, there are different sources of revenue for Taliban that is allowing them to procure sophisticated arms and abundant supply of ammunition and explosives. How does Taliban finance their Terror activities? How does Taliban keep on sending suicide bombers and terrorists to kill innocent civilians? Why does Taliban Terrorists want to take control of parts of Afghanistan that are remote with barren land and without any human life sustaining resources like water?
Afghanistan is rich in minerals and hydrocarbon deposits. As per the expert, the estimated value of Afghanistan’s mineral and hydrocarbon deposits is more than $1 trillion. Afghan Taliban and other jihadi groups have penetrated in nearly every aspect of the Afghanistan’s lucrative extractives industry. The Taliban exploit mining sites in at least 14 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and now earn as much as $200 to $300 million annually, the second-largest revenue stream after narcotics.
As per the expert, the Taliban’s increased footprint in Afghanistan and formalized their role in the mining sector by creating the Dabaro Comisyoon, or “Stones Commission.” It substantially enhanced their war chest. The Commission manages the taxation of extracted minerals and ores and even issues ‘official’ Taliban sanctioned mining licenses. The Dabaro Comisyoon operates under the authority of the Taliban’s Maali Comisyoon (“Financial Commission”) and reportedly came into existence around 2009 as the Taliban began to experiment in diversifying their revenue streams. The Maali Comisyoon oversees and manages the financial flow of many of the Taliban’s illicit revenue streams, including mining activities, kidnapping for ransom, and extorting NGOs.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) previously estimated that Afghanistan’s known mineral deposits tops $1 trillion—$908 billion in mineral resources and more than $200 billion in hydrocarbon deposits
The Afghanistan Anti-Corruption Network (AACN) reported in February 2017 that ISIS-KP and the Taliban earned $46 million in 2016 from illegally extracting talc, a soft mineral used in the manufacturing of cosmetics, from Nangarhar’s Khogyani District.
The Taliban are now involved in the illegal extraction of minerals, ores, and precious and semi-precious stones, and they reportedly own several mining and excavation businesses in southern Afghanistan.
Taliban were reported, by the Afghan government envoy to Helmand in June 2016, to earn between $50,000 and $60,000 per day ($18.5 million and $21.9 million per year) from mining and transporting marble in the province. In addition, they were estimated to make as much as $16 million from unlicensed ruby extraction in Kabul as early as 2014 and $6 million in 2016 from mining the gemstone lapis lazuli in Badakhshan Province. While those approximations pertain to only three provinces, one Afghan expert on the extractives industry assessed that out of the estimated $2 billion generated overall each year from Afghan mining operations, the Taliban currently stand to earn 10 to 15 percent, or $200 to $300 million per annum.
By contrast, the Afghan government reportedly earned only $30 million from mining revenues in 2015, a paltry sum compared to the current estimated revenues of the Taliban from mining
US ending combat mission and its implications
The United States formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. The NATO mission in Afghanistan was renamed Resolute Support and focused on training, advising, and assisting the Afghan National Security Defense Forces (ANDSF), which, at that point, assumed responsibility for all security operations. Since the transition, the Taliban have continued to make territorial gains throughout the country and deeply involved itself in the illegal mining activities.
Local media and sources in 2016 identified at least 1,400 illegal mining sites located in at least 14 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces—710 of which are in the Kabul area alone—that are exploited by the Taliban and other Terrorist organizations. Overall, there are some 10,000 mineral deposits reportedly located in areas outside of the government’s control. In June 2016, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior acknowledged the challenges associated with illegal mining activities and claimed that the Afghan government had stopped 1,270 illegal mining operations. However, no evidence was provided as to when and where those illegal mining operations had been disrupted and how many mines are still under Taliban control.
Taliban charging tax from trucks used to transport mined stones
Trucks used for illegal smuggling of Nephrite from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
As per the locals, the Taliban charge a tax for each truck used to transport the mined stones, and depending on the type of marble being transported, the tax ranges from 25,000 Pakistani rupees to 60,000 Pakistani rupees per ton. Trucks can carry between 7 and 40 tons each, depending on the type of vehicle. The U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team reported in 2015 that between 2008 and 2014, mining operations extracted 124,000 to 155,000 tons of marble from Helmand each year.
Sources in Helmand also estimated that around 80-100 trucks are used to smuggle hundreds of tons of marble from Helmand into Pakistan every day, while only two percent of Helmand’s extracted marble end up in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, where the marble is further processed and sold. Of the meager two percent of marble that remains in Afghanistan, the government is only able to tax 3,500 afghanis per ton. These activites are another big revenue sources for Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Dabaro Comisyoon is also tasked with managing the revenues earned from taxing mining companies and those tasked with transporting the stones throughout the country (and not only in Helmand Province). It also maintains relations with Pakistani businessmen who help facilitate the black-market sale of Afghanistan’s illegally excavated natural resources. In this way Pakistan also makes Billions per year by partnering with Taliban Terrorists. These Billions of Dollars earned by Pakistan by processing and exporting illegally obtained natural resources and precious stones are then used to further strengthen their Terror Infrastructure.
Illegal Mining of Nephrite Near Kabul
Illegal and unregulated mining activities are not only restricted to isolated rural areas outside the Afghanistan government’s control. The village of Nili, located in Parwan Province—approximately 25 miles from Kabul City and 12 miles from the U.S. base at Bagram Airfield—is reportedly a hub for the illegal mining of nephrite jade, a decorative stone used in ornaments and jewelry. Taliban Terrorists controlled mining operations in Nili for most of 2016. The jade is trafficked through the mountains by mules until it reaches Sarobi District, Kabul Province, where it is then transferred to trucks and transported farther east to markets in Pakistan.
Illegal Mining of Rubies in Sarobi District, Afghanistan
Sarobi itself is also illegally exploited for its precious stones, mostly rubies. Taliban Terrorists have controlled a mountainous area near the village of Jegdalek in Sarobi District since 2012. Reports emerged that the Taliban had coerced locals to illegally mine the mountains for rubies. One such high-quality ruby extracted there allegedly sold for $600,000 to a buyer in Dubai, UAE. Despite an Afghan security operation codenamed “Iron Triangle” that successfully routed Terrorists from several parts of Sarobi in 2015, the illegal extraction and smuggling of rubies from Sarobi continued unabated in 2016. Most of the precious stones illegally extracted from mines in Kabul are smuggled to Peshawar, Pakistan; the rubies are typically sorted for quality and sold in the gem stalls of Peshawar’s Namak Mandi market. These are big Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan.
This is how FATF Grey Listed Pakistan is a part of a big network of exploiting natural resources and precious stones illegally from the mines located in Afghanistan. Pakistan pays a meagre amount for these precious resources, but then refines them and sells them at exorbitant prices to buyers around the world.
Narcotics as source of Revenue for Taliban
Illicit cultivation of Poppy and Narcotics, a big revenue source for Taliban
In the southern province of Helmand, since 2014, the illegal cultivation, processing, and trafficking of narcotics has remained a critical financial resource for the Taliban. The Taliban dominate many aspects of Helmand’s thriving, multi-billion narcotics industry, which revolves around the illicit cultivation of poppy, which, in turn, is used to produce opium and refined heroin as well as the cultivation of cannabis. This is used to create hashish, a potent marijuana resin. The U.N. estimates that the Taliban earned $400 million from the narcotics industry in 2016.
Action Plan for Afghan Army to plunge sources of revenue for Taliban
We spoke with one of the Afghan nationals. He believed that Afghanistan Government and Afghanistan Army needs to take control of all the illegal mines. They should stop the illegal activities to plunge all Taliban revenue sources in Afghanistan that fund the Taliban Terrorists besides that also fund the FATF Grey Listed Pakistan. He suggested that, to start with, confiscate all the trucks involved in illegal smuggling of Natural resources and precious stones from Afghanistan to Pakistan. He also suggested to increase border patrols and start border surveillance using drones to stop illegal smuggling of Afghanistan resources to Pakistan. Until this is done, Taliban Terrorists will continue to earn millions of dollars. They will continue sending their Terrorists to spread fear among the Afghan civilians.
https://news-communique.com/index.p...afghanistan-frees-nephrite-mine-from-taliban/
Afghanistan Army Killed 1074 Pakistan Sponsored Taliban Terrorists In Last 21 Days
Shelling by Pakistan Army in Kunar District of Afghanistan killed 3 Afghan children & wounded 9 children
Condemnation of International Paid Media for not covering Pakistan
sorcerer
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A big jolt for paki army economy..
good show Afghanistan
Looks like a Bond is out there somewhere doing stuffs... hitting at pak economy by all means
Mikesingh
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Trump urged not to plunge Afghanistan back into civil war
WASHINGTON: A former US defence secretary and nine former ambassadors to Afghanistan have warned the Trump administration not to rush into a deal with the Taliban that Washington may have to regret later.
In a signed letter, released by the Atlantic Council, a Washington think-tank, on Tuesday, all nine ambassadors, who have worked in Afghanistan since the removal of the Taliban government, warned Washington that an unplanned withdrawal could push the country back into a “total civil war”.
Gen James Mattis, the Trump’s administration’s first defence secretary, said in a panel discussion at the US Council of Foreign Relations on Tuesday that a rushed withdrawal could force Washington to send its troops back to Afghanistan.
He explained how the United States withdrew from Iraq, ignoring warnings from its military and intelligence officials, and was forced to return.
As predicted, insurgency and terrorism in Iraq grew stronger after a troop pullout and “we had to send the troops back,” the general said.
“Should we not learn from that situation?” he asked. “We can declare a war over,… but the idea that we can now turn our back on this threat and somehow we are going to live in an island in the global community unaffected by it, does not match.”
Gen. Mattis urged US policy planner to “learn from our past” and not make this mistake.
The former US ambassadors to Afghanistan stressed this point more forcefully. “A major withdrawal of US forces should follow, not come in advance of real peace agreement,” they wrote, adding that not doing so could plunge the country back “into a total civil war” that followed the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.
They argued that while some reduction of troop numbers was possible to start negotiations, counter-terrorism forces and US/Nato airpower need to remain to deal with the terrorist threat of IS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1503640/trump-urged-not-to-plunge-afghanistan-back-into-civil-war
The US will be committing a big strategic blunder by withdrawing before a peace agreement is signed seeing Trump's hurry to withdraw a majority of US troops before elections. But even an agreement arrived at will not be worth the paper it's written on. The Talibs can never be trusted.
The US needs to stay to avoid a civil war with proxies of the erstwhile Northern Alliance, local warlords, China, Iran, Pak and Russia all vying for dominance in Afghanistan where the stakes are enormous.
WASHINGTON: A former US defence secretary and nine former ambassadors to Afghanistan have warned the Trump administration not to rush into a deal with the Taliban that Washington may have to regret later.
In a signed letter, released by the Atlantic Council, a Washington think-tank, on Tuesday, all nine ambassadors, who have worked in Afghanistan since the removal of the Taliban government, warned Washington that an unplanned withdrawal could push the country back into a “total civil war”.
Gen James Mattis, the Trump’s administration’s first defence secretary, said in a panel discussion at the US Council of Foreign Relations on Tuesday that a rushed withdrawal could force Washington to send its troops back to Afghanistan.
He explained how the United States withdrew from Iraq, ignoring warnings from its military and intelligence officials, and was forced to return.
As predicted, insurgency and terrorism in Iraq grew stronger after a troop pullout and “we had to send the troops back,” the general said.
“Should we not learn from that situation?” he asked. “We can declare a war over,… but the idea that we can now turn our back on this threat and somehow we are going to live in an island in the global community unaffected by it, does not match.”
Gen. Mattis urged US policy planner to “learn from our past” and not make this mistake.
The former US ambassadors to Afghanistan stressed this point more forcefully. “A major withdrawal of US forces should follow, not come in advance of real peace agreement,” they wrote, adding that not doing so could plunge the country back “into a total civil war” that followed the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.
They argued that while some reduction of troop numbers was possible to start negotiations, counter-terrorism forces and US/Nato airpower need to remain to deal with the terrorist threat of IS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1503640/trump-urged-not-to-plunge-afghanistan-back-into-civil-war
The US will be committing a big strategic blunder by withdrawing before a peace agreement is signed seeing Trump's hurry to withdraw a majority of US troops before elections. But even an agreement arrived at will not be worth the paper it's written on. The Talibs can never be trusted.
The US needs to stay to avoid a civil war with proxies of the erstwhile Northern Alliance, local warlords, China, Iran, Pak and Russia all vying for dominance in Afghanistan where the stakes are enormous.
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Haldiram
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This figure is more than Kargil. It's almost as if war has begun
Haldiram
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Drama hai sirjee, sabh drama hai. First Trump ji pretends to be offended, then his satraps try to console him, then he will change his mind. Seems like a scene straight out of an Indian marriage hall where the groom's father is upset at not getting enough dowry on time and "could do anything" unless the bride's side remedies the situation.
They wouldn't be playing out these strategic issues in the public unless it was part of a plan. They wanted to make it look like they are leaving in a hurry and expected people to grab their legs and ask them to stay. No one did that. So now their own people are playing that role. Now he will come out and say that..well my advisers convinced me so I changed my mind. Faltu quality ki bargaining hai. Middle aged aunties do such bargaining in Sarojini Nagar.
If Donald Duck wants, they are welcome to come talk in South Block. If they want to leave, let them leave. No point doing drama on Twitter. By the time they are done playing their "Taliban boogeyman" card, NDS with India's help will have done its job. Taliban are being culled in the thousands.
Haldiram
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Till yesterday they were "in a hurry" to run away.
Every 5 years, the US cycles 5000 troops. Every time this cycling happens, they make it look like they are withdrawing. A year later, they send in a fresh batch. Even Obama has been through this drama. First he ran an election campaign based on a promise to withdraw from Afghanistan, they withdrew a few, made it look like the poll promise was fulfilled, then doubled down on their troops in his next term. Trump ran on a promise of withdrawing from Afghanistan. A few months later, they'll send in a fresh batch.
Every 5 years, the US cycles 5000 troops. Every time this cycling happens, they make it look like they are withdrawing. A year later, they send in a fresh batch. Even Obama has been through this drama. First he ran an election campaign based on a promise to withdraw from Afghanistan, they withdrew a few, made it look like the poll promise was fulfilled, then doubled down on their troops in his next term. Trump ran on a promise of withdrawing from Afghanistan. A few months later, they'll send in a fresh batch.
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Deathstar
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Now wait for Americans to pound on the Taliban
Afghanistan Army Killed 1911 Pakistan Sponsored Taliban Terrorists In Last 14 Days
Peace Talks with Taliban are dead.
Taliban Terrorists stepped up Terrorist attacks.
Afghan Army took back 3 Districts back from Taliban control
https://news-communique.com/index.p...sponsored-taliban-terrorists-in-last-14-days/
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If PoK comes back to India, THEN MANY GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO THIS REGION.
The time has came for pakistanis who think that they can defeat superpowers, by totally destroying pakistan in NATO INDIA joint operation and then totally decimating terrorism heartland.
But no, total antipathy towards each other thanks to colonial mindset cannot let like minded nations to work together.
World has to decide what is more important the destruction of jihad Islam or continuous bickering among powerful but like minded nations.
USA can do it, India can support it.
Pakistanis fear USA more than even their Allah.
The time has came for pakistanis who think that they can defeat superpowers, by totally destroying pakistan in NATO INDIA joint operation and then totally decimating terrorism heartland.
But no, total antipathy towards each other thanks to colonial mindset cannot let like minded nations to work together.
World has to decide what is more important the destruction of jihad Islam or continuous bickering among powerful but like minded nations.
USA can do it, India can support it.
Pakistanis fear USA more than even their Allah.
Wuraid Khan
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US-Afghan Peace Deal 2020
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AFGHANS ROAST 10 JAISH PIGLETS
Afghan forces intercept Taliban fighters, find Jaish terrorists training for Kashmir
The Afghan forces had carried out a raid in Nangarhar’s Muhmand Dara at what was presumed to be a Taliban camp that led to a bloody gunfight. At the end of the clash that cost the Afghan security forces four lives on April 13-14 night, the security personnel discovered that only 5 of the 15 men they had killed were from the Afghan Taliban.
The other 10 were Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists being trained to fight in Jammu and Kashmir. One Jaish terrorist survived the gunfight and was captured. Counter-terror operatives in Delhi and Kabul told HT that the Masood Azhar-founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, which shares the same Deobandi umbilical cord with Taliban, appeared to be running three camps (called Mustaquil) along with four Taliban camps in Nangarhar province. The camps have been identified as Khogyani I, Khogyani II and Dargah camp in Nangarhar province and were lent by the Taliban in lieu of Haqqani network’s cadre being trained in JeM’s camps in Pakistan.
Maulana Masood Azhar's younger brother Mufti Rauf Asghar is the man running the Jaish ‘s terror show. Intelligence reports indicate that the Jaish’s de facto chief Mufti Rauf Asghar’s son Wali Azhar is also being trained in these camps that are headed by former Afghan war and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen veteran Mufti Asghar Kashmiri.
His second-in-command at these camps is the Jaish’s Kashmir infiltration specialist Abdullah aka Asadullah. “We have photographic evidence that places Kashmiri and Abdullah at the terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” one official told HT. According to information shared with India’s security planners, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir residents Yasin, Umar, Said and Mansoor along with Bahawalpur-based chief trainer Chacha Wagah, Junaid and Qari Sahab were present in the camp along with Kashmiri and Abdullah as late as March 29.
The total strength of Khogyani I camp is 23 cadres and seven instructors, while the number of cadres in Khogyani II and Dargah camps number 66 excluding trainers and logistics staff. The radicalised cadre are being given a 15-day normal training after which they have to clear the six-month “Jundullah (commando)” training course before being launched into J&K.
These cadres are also being given jungle survival training in Kunar reserve near Nuristan border. Miniature replicas of the areas around their launch pads at Neelum, Sharda, Kel, Athmuqam, Leepa, Kotli and Forward Kahuta across the Line of Control (LOC) have been created for briefing them about infiltration into J&K.
http://idrw.org/afghan-forces-intercept-taliban-fighters-find-jaish-terrorists-training-for-kashmir/#more-225379
Afghan forces intercept Taliban fighters, find Jaish terrorists training for Kashmir
The Afghan forces had carried out a raid in Nangarhar’s Muhmand Dara at what was presumed to be a Taliban camp that led to a bloody gunfight. At the end of the clash that cost the Afghan security forces four lives on April 13-14 night, the security personnel discovered that only 5 of the 15 men they had killed were from the Afghan Taliban.
The other 10 were Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists being trained to fight in Jammu and Kashmir. One Jaish terrorist survived the gunfight and was captured. Counter-terror operatives in Delhi and Kabul told HT that the Masood Azhar-founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, which shares the same Deobandi umbilical cord with Taliban, appeared to be running three camps (called Mustaquil) along with four Taliban camps in Nangarhar province. The camps have been identified as Khogyani I, Khogyani II and Dargah camp in Nangarhar province and were lent by the Taliban in lieu of Haqqani network’s cadre being trained in JeM’s camps in Pakistan.
Maulana Masood Azhar's younger brother Mufti Rauf Asghar is the man running the Jaish ‘s terror show. Intelligence reports indicate that the Jaish’s de facto chief Mufti Rauf Asghar’s son Wali Azhar is also being trained in these camps that are headed by former Afghan war and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen veteran Mufti Asghar Kashmiri.
His second-in-command at these camps is the Jaish’s Kashmir infiltration specialist Abdullah aka Asadullah. “We have photographic evidence that places Kashmiri and Abdullah at the terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” one official told HT. According to information shared with India’s security planners, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir residents Yasin, Umar, Said and Mansoor along with Bahawalpur-based chief trainer Chacha Wagah, Junaid and Qari Sahab were present in the camp along with Kashmiri and Abdullah as late as March 29.
The total strength of Khogyani I camp is 23 cadres and seven instructors, while the number of cadres in Khogyani II and Dargah camps number 66 excluding trainers and logistics staff. The radicalised cadre are being given a 15-day normal training after which they have to clear the six-month “Jundullah (commando)” training course before being launched into J&K.
These cadres are also being given jungle survival training in Kunar reserve near Nuristan border. Miniature replicas of the areas around their launch pads at Neelum, Sharda, Kel, Athmuqam, Leepa, Kotli and Forward Kahuta across the Line of Control (LOC) have been created for briefing them about infiltration into J&K.
http://idrw.org/afghan-forces-intercept-taliban-fighters-find-jaish-terrorists-training-for-kashmir/#more-225379
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Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
June 2, 2019
According to U.S. and Afghan administration, there are at least 20 terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan with a total of 50,000 or more militants fighting in their ranks.
A recent 2019 report by Department of Defense’s (DoD) Lead Inspector General highlighted some of the jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan. In this article, I have compiled information on most of the groups mentioned in the U.S. DoD report but at the same time I have also included some Afghanistan-based groups that have been ignored by the U.S. DoD. This article may be updated in future with more groups.
Islamic State in Khorasan Province
ISKP operates in Afghanistan and also covered Pakistan and surrounding areas until recently when Islamic State announced Wilayat Pakistan and Wilayat al-Hind. Now ISKP is only in-charge for IS operations in Afghanistan.
ISKP leaders:
Flag commonly used: ISKP uses the same black standard that is commonly used by IS and all its affiliates.
Allies:
Jundallah - a Pakistani jihadist group that also has some elements in Afghanistan.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (former ally) - a Pakistan-focused jihadist group largely based in Afghanistan. Remained allied with ISKP from 2014 to 2015.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Alami (disputed status) - LeJA initially pledged allegiance to IS before breaking away somewhere around 2017-18. However, a pro-IS faction within LeJA is still allied with ISKP as per Pakistani intelligence inputs.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Militants from other groups: Hundreds of militants, along with commanders, from several other regional jihadist groups in the region like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, etc have joined ISKP over the years.
Haqqani Network
The Haqqani Network is an Afghan guerrilla insurgent group using asymmetric warfare to fight against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. It operates mainly in Afghanistan but is also believed to have some presence in some border areas of Pakistan. The Haqqani Network pledged allegiance to the Taliban in 1995. Haqqani Network is also believed to have close ties with al-Qaeda. In the 1980s, the Haqqani network was one of the most favored CIA-funded anti-Soviet guerrilla groups by the Reagan administration. In 2012, the United States designated the Haqqani Network as a terrorist organization. In 2015, Pakistan also banned the Haqqani Network as part of its National Action Plan.
Haqqani Network leaders:
Flag commonly used: Haqqani Network uses the same white standard and black standard that is used by the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - Haqqani Network is embedded within the Afghan Taliban.
al-Qaeda - Haqqani Network maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) used to operate mainly in Pakistan before Pakistani military’s Operation Zarb-e-Azbin 2014. However, following the operation, TTP started moving its operations to Afghanistan, which is where it is primarily based today with some sleeper cells and sympathizers left in Pakistan.
TTP is comprised of several smaller jihadist factions. In December 2007, about 13 groups united under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud to form the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Among the TTP’s stated objectives are resistance against the Pakistani state and the establishment of a “true Islamic state” in Pakistan. TTP largely depends on the tribal belt on both sides along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to draw its recruits. TTP draws ideological guidance from al-Qaeda and maintain close ties with it.
Officially, Afghan Taliban are not affiliated nor maintain any relation to TTP, although Afghan Taliban also do not carry out action against TTP since it moved operations to Afghanistan.
TTP leaders:
Flag commonly used: TTP used the white standard typically used by the Afghan Taliban until September 2018. The new TTP flag is a white and black standard with some similarity with the common black standard used by Islamic State.
al-Qaeda - TTP maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which is now largely defunct in Pakistan after assassinations of its leaders by Pakistani security forces, was and is still allied with TTP. LeJ is also known as the Punjabi Taliban.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar - Also known as JuA, the group splintered from TTP in 2014 over disagreement with TTP leadership over peace talks with Pakistani government. JuA became a large TTP faction after it merged with Ahrar-ul-Hind, another splinter group of TTP. Omar Khalid Khorasani was named the first emir of JuA. After breaking away from TTP, JuA pledged allegiance to Islamic State and became a part of the Khorasan Province or ISKP. But in 2015, JuA announced that is has once again pledged allegiance to the then TTP emir Mullah Fazlullah.
Hizbul Ahrar - Also known as HuA, it is a splinter group of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and is unofficially allied with TTP. A statement released by HuA in early 2019 said that is open to collaboration with other jihadist groups. In the following months, HuA announced multiple joint operations with another jihadist group without naming it, however Pakistani intelligence officials believe that the group HuA was referring to is a faction within TTP that is collaborating with HuA with permission from top TTP leadership.
Afghanistan - Ever since TTP moved its operations to Afghanistan, it has been alleged by several analysts, as well as privately and publicly by Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. officials and former officials, that TTP receivessupport from Afghanistan’s intelligence service the NDS or National Directorate of Security.This alleged relationship between NDS and TTP is believed to be in counter to Pakistan’s alleged role in supporting the Afghan Taliban, a group which is fighting an insurgency against the government and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan)
The Taliban emerged in 1994 as one of the prominent factions in the Afghan Civil War. From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban held power over roughly three quarters of Afghanistan, and enforced there a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. largely consisted of students (talib) from the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan who had been educated in traditional Islamic schools, and fought during the Soviet–Afghan War. At its peak, formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban's government in Afghanistan was acknowledged by only three nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The group later regrouped as an insurgency movement to fight the American-backed Karzai administration and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the War in Afghanistan.
Taliban’s leadership is believed to be based in Pakistan’s border areas by U.S. and Afghan officials. The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence and military are widely alleged by the international community and the Afghan government to have provided support to the Taliban during their founding and time in power, and of continuing to support the Taliban during the insurgency. Pakistan states that it dropped all support for the group after the September 11 attacks.
A Jan 2019 U.S. government report by Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (Sigar) said that as of Oct. 31, 2018 the Afghan government controlled territory on which 63.5 percent of its population lived, a decrease of 1.7 percent from the previous quarter, while gains by the Taliban insurgency gave it control over territory that is home to 10.8 percent of the population. The report further said that only 53.8 percent of districts were “controlled or influenced” by the government, while 12.3 percent of the districts were under insurgent control or influence and 33.9 percent of districts were contested.
Taliban leaders:
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: The Taliban are estimated to have somewhere 25,000 to 40,000 fighters in Afghanistan as per U.S. government reports.
Flag commonly used: Taliban use the white standard as its official flag.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - Afghan Taliban maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Haqqani Network - Taliban maintains close relation with the Haqqani Network. Haqqani Network’s operatives fight while embedded in Taliban ranks.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group active in Kashmir. The group's primary motive is to separate Kashmir from India and merge it into Pakistan. It maintains close ties with Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - Also known as Turkistan Islamic Party, the group is allied with Afghan Taliban.
Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi - Also known in English as the Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law or TNSM in short, the Pakistani militant group maintains close links with the Afghan Taliban. While the group is largely defunct now in Pakistan since its leader Sufi Muhammad renounced violence and was freed from a Pakistani jail in 2008, several of its fighters are still fighting in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban.
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - was a militant Jihadist organisation active in the southwestern region of the Russian Federation. Its intention was to expel the Russian presence from the North Caucasus and to establish an independent Islamic emirate in the region. At the time of its peak, the group was allied with the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda. However, by 2015 the group went defunct after most of its fighters defected to the Islamic State. Some Chechen fighters from the group are still believed to be fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (former ally) - remained allied with the Afghan Taliban until 2016, when its leadership signed a peace deal with the Afghan government in Kabul under President Ghani.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Islamic Jihad Union - The Islamic Jihad Union (also known as the Islamic Jihad Group) is a splinter faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, another al Qaeda-linked terror group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border, and was founded in 2002. Central Asians, Turks, and Germans make up a significant portion of the IJU. The German fighters are often referred to as German Taliban, and they have carried out attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Russia - These five countries are alleged to have supported or still supporting the Taliban on different levels by various parties. Afghan officials allege that Pakistan still supports the Taliban and that the leadership of Taliban is allegedly based in Pakistan. Pakistan states it stopped supporting the Taliban after 9/11 attacks. It is also alleged that Saudi Arabia was supporting the Taliban until as recently as 2013 and that some private Saudi citizens allegedly still financially support the group. Taliban maintain their political office in Qatar, another country that is alleged to have financially supported the Taliban. Iran is also believed to have supported the Taliban in multiple ways in an attempt to counter U.S. influence in its neighboring region. Russia, an old foe of the Taliban, has also mended its relations with the group and is currently alleged to be enjoying close relations with the Taliban in an attempt to counter U.S. influence in the region.
Islamic Emirate High Council
IEHC is a splinter group of Afghan Taliban, formed in 2015 by Mullah Rasul as a result of a disagreement over the ascension of Mullah Akhtar Mansour as leader of the Taliban. Before founding his own splinter group, Rasul was a Taliban-appointed governor of Nimruz Province in Afghanistan. Rasul exerted economic pressures on ethnic and religious minorities unpopular with the Taliban, and made a considerable fortune controlling cross-border drug-smuggling through Nimruz. He is said to have enjoyed close relations with former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, and is considered to have been an "old and trusted friend" to him. Rasul's followers accused slain former emir of Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour of hijacking the movement due to personal greed. Rasul says that he and his supporters tried to persuade him to step down and let the new leader be chosen by the Taliban council, but Mansour refused. Rasul's group has voiced support for the actions of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State abroad however, he has stated that neither group is welcome in Afghanistan. The group is alleged to be a client of Iran and has also been reported of being supported by Afghan government though both the group and Afghan officials have denied this.
IEHC leaders:
Mullah Muhammad Rasul - Designation: Present Emir. Status: Alive and operational.
Abdul Manan Niazi - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive and operational.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate High Council is believed to have around 1,000 active fighters in Afghanistan according to U.S. government data.
Flag commonly used: IEHC largely uses the same white standard as the Afghan Taliban.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - IEHC emir Mullah Rasul has voiced support for al-Qaeda outside of Afghanistan.
Islamic State - IEHC emir Mullah Rasul has voiced support for IS outside of Afghanistan. But there have also been allegations by Afghan Taliban as well as local Afghan government officials that IEHC is very close to Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP).
Afghanistan - IEHC is also alleged to have some support from Afghan government in Kabul in an attempt to weaken the Afghan Taliban group.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Remnants of IMU continue to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
IMU has been designated as a terrorist organisation by: Australia, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, European Union, United States of America.
IMU leaders:
Flag commonly used: IMU uses the black standard commonly used by al-Qaeda.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - IMU maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Islamic State - IMU fighters who defected to IS in 2015 are presently fighting alongside ISKP in Afghanistan.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - IMU is also allied with TTP and has carried out joint attacks with TTP in Pakistan in the past.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - Also known as Turkistan Islamic Party, the group is allied with IMU.
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - was a militant Jihadist organisation active in the southwestern region of the Russian Federation. Its intention was to expel the Russian presence from the North Caucasus and to establish an independent Islamic emirate in the region. At the time of its peak, the group was allied with the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda. However, by 2015 the group went defunct after most of its fighters defected to the Islamic State. Some Chechen fighters from the group are still believed to be fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda
al-Qaeda is a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and several other Arab volunteers during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The group maintains presence in Afghanistan to this date since before 9/11 attacks.
al-Qaeda leaders:
Flag commonly used: al-Qaeda commonly uses the black standard as its flag.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - Despite denial from Taliban, U.S. officials believe it still enjoys close ties with al-Qaeda.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - [see above]
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - [see above]
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Islamic Jihad Union - [see above]
Haqqani Network - [see above]
Jaish-e-Mohammed - is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group active in Kashmir. The group's primary motive is to separate Kashmir from India and merge it into Pakistan. It maintains close ties with Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Jemaah Islamiyah - is a Southeast Asian militant extremist Islamist group dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia. It has cells in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The group has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It remained very active in Indonesia where it publicly maintained a website as of January 2013.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Turkistan Islamic Party)
Popularly known these days as the Turkistan Islamic Party(TIP), it is a jihadist organisation founded by Uyghur jihadists in western China, considered broadly as a terrorist group. Its stated goals are to establish an independent state called "East Turkestan" in Xinjiang. According to a Chinese report, published in 2002, between 1990 and 2001 the ETIM had committed over 200 acts of terrorism, resulting in at least 162 deaths and over 440 injuries. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and Pakistan. Its Syrian branch is active in the Syrian Civil War.
ETIM leaders:
Flag commonly used: Apart from its own flag, ETIM also sometimes uses the black standard used by al-Qaeda.
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Lashkar-e-Taiba
It is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The organisation is banned as a terrorist organization by India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, Australia, Pakistan and the United Nations (under the UNSC Resolution 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions List). Whilst LeT remains banned in Pakistan, the political arm of the group, Jamat ud Dawah (JuD) has remained un-banned for spans of time. As of February 2019, it is deemed as a proscribed organisationper an order of the Interior Ministry.
LeT leaders:
Flag commonly used: LeT uses its own version of white and black standard.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - LeT supports the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan.
al-Qaeda - LeT is also alleged to have developed ties with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Islamic State - Some LeT militants have defected to the IS branch in Afghanistan.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - LeT is alleged to have close links with JeM.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen - LeT maintains close ties with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and has carried out several joint operations in India-administered Kashmir.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Also known as JuA, the group splintered from TTP in 2014 over disagreement with TTP leadership over peace talks with Pakistani government. JuA became a large TTP faction after it merged with Ahrar-ul-Hind, another splinter group of TTP. Omar Khalid Khorasani was named the first emir of JuA. After breaking away from TTP, JuA pledged allegiance to Islamic State and became a part of the Khorasan Province or ISKP. But in 2015, JuA announced that is has once again pledged allegiance to the then TTP emir Mullah Fazlullah. Today the group primarily operates from Afghanistan but has not claimed any attack in Pakistan in almost two years.
JuA leaders:
Omar Khalid Khurasani - Designation: Present emir. Status: Believed to be still alive somewhere in Afghanistan. There’s a $3 million bounty on him by U.S. government.
Asad Mansoor - Designation: Former spokesperson. Status: Surrendered to Pakistani security forces in 2018.
Ehsanullah Ehsan - Designation: Former spokesperson. He surrendered himself to Pakistan's security forces in April 2017.
Abu Jandal - Senior commander with JuA who was killed in an operation by Pakistani security forces in Khyber Agency in 2015.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:According to U.S. government data, around 200 JuA militants are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: JuA uses the white standard commonly used by the Taliban.
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - JuA splintered from TTP in 2014 before rejoining it in 2015.
Islamic State - JuA briefly remained allied to IS branch in Afghanistan before rejoining TTP.
Hizbul Ahrar
Also known as HuA, the group is a splinter of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and was formed on 11 November 2017 in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan while an official announcement of its formation was made via a video on 12 November. Militant commander Mukarram Khan alias Omar Khurasani, who used to be with JuA before, was made the emir of the group.
Mukkaram Khan, who belongs to Mohmand Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in his first video message said that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was involved in anti-Islamic acts committed in the name of jihad, thus compelling them to start their own group. In this respect, he particularly mentioned terrorist attacks against National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office in Mardan, attack on security forces at Wahga border, attacks in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park Lahore, which claimed the lives of many Christians, and other such attacks carried out around the country. He said that these terrorist attacks had cost the lives of innocent people, including women and children. In the video he recalled that Jamata-ul-Ahrar had claimed responsibility for all these attacks. He claimed that he had made attempts to bring reforms in JuA, but failed to achieve any success. He also accused Khalid Khurasani, chief of JuA, of attacking him in which he was also injured. He claimed that a number of leading commanders have also announced disassociation from the JuA, and now they were a part of Hizb-ul-Ahrar.
In April 2018, Hizbul Ahrar launched Operation Ibne Qasimor Bin Qasim against the Pakistani security forces and other state apparatus, which apparently concluded by the end of 2018. In February 2019, Hizbul Ahrar announced a new operation against Pakistani security forces dubbed as Operation Shamzai. HuA’s second operation is still ongoing and HuA has so far claimed dozens of attacks in Pakistan as part of this operation.
HuA leaders:
Mukarram Khan alias Omar Khurasani - Designation: Present emir. Status: Alive.
Dr Aziz Yousafzai - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive.
Jihadyar Mehsud - Designation: Military Wing chief. Status: Dead.
Muslimyar - Designation: Financial Commission chief. Status: Unknown.
Haji Rashid - Designation: Political Commission chief. Status: Unknown.
Imran Aurakzai - Designation: Commander for HuA for Mohmand Agency. Status: Unknown.
Umar Kamal Bajauri - Designation: Commander for HuA for Bajaur Agency. Status: Dead.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
The U.S. government appears to have largely ignored Hizbul Ahrar in its reports even though the group was formed in Afghanistan and continues to function from Afghanistan, my sources estimate the number of Hizbul Ahrar fighters present in Afghanistan somewhere around 100-300.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: The U.S. government appears to have largely ignored Hizbul Ahrar in its reports even though the group was formed in Afghanistan and continues to function from Afghanistan, my sources estimate the number of Hizbul Ahrar fighters present in Afghanistan somewhere around 100-300.
Flag commonly used: HuA uses its own version of white and black standard.
Tariq Gidar Group
The Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) is a splinter group of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group was formed in Darra Adam Khel, Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan, in 2007.
The TGG has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan. Among the multiple large-scale, fatal attacks for which the TGG is responsible is the December 16, 2014, massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, that left 132 schoolchildren and nine staffers dead—the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history. The group’s leader is also known as the mastermind of the January 2016 attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan, that killed 20 and wounded between 50 and 60 others. Some of the other major terrorist attacks for which the TGG has claimed responsibility are the September 22, 2013, bombing of a church in Peshawar; the December 15, 2012, attack on Bacha Khan Airport in Peshawar; the December 3, 2012, attack on the Consulate General of the United States in Peshawar; and the October 14, 2012, attack on Ghaziabad Public School in Peshawar.
In addition to these devastating attacks, the TGG is responsible for the 2010 kidnapping of a British journalist traveling to North Waziristan, Pakistan, and the 2008 kidnapping and beheading of a Polish geologist in Attock, Pakistan.
Pakistan’s military operation Zarb-e-Azb targeted the TGG. The group continues to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan in collaboration with TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). Apprehended members of the group have confessed that the group was involved in a number of major terrorist attacks.
TGG is a designated terrorist organisation by United Nations Security Council.
TGG leaders:
Khalifa Umar Mansoor - Designation: Commander with TGG. Status: Dead. Killed in Afghanistan in 2016.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
According to U.S. government data, 100-300 TGG militants are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: TGG uses the white standard commonly used by the Afghan Taliban.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - TGG is believed to have close links with Afghan Taliban.
al-Qaeda - TGG is believed to have developed links with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Islamic Jihad Union
The Islamic Jihad Union (also known as the Islamic Jihad Group) is a splinter faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, another al Qaeda-linked terror group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border, and was founded in 2002. Central Asians, Turks, and Germans make up a significant portion of the IJU. The German fighters are often referred to as German Taliban, and they have carried out attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
IJU leaders:
Akhtar Mansoor - Dead
Najmiddin Jalolov - Dead
Abu Omar al-Turkistani - Remained with IJU as a commander in Afghanistan until 2015 before leaving for Syria where he served with al-Nusra Front and Turkistan Islamic Party. Status: Killed in U.S. drone strike in 2017.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
According to U.S. government data, some 25 active militants belonging to IJU are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: Black standard commonly used by al-Qaeda.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - [see above]
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Jamaat Dawa Quran
Jamaat Dawa Quran (JDQ), which is “based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan” has “long-standing ties to al Qaeda and Lashkar e-Tayyiba,” according to the U.S. State Department in 2016. JDQ, which is also known as the Jamaat al Dawa ila al Sunnah, Jamaat ud Dawa il al Quran al Sunnah, and the Salafi Group, operates primarily in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
In January 2010, JDQ pledged an oath of allegiance to then Afghan Taliban emir Mullah Omar. That pledge was accepted by the Taliban. It was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by U.S. State Department in 2016.
JDQ leaders:
Flag commonly used: Unknown.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
Lashkar-e-Taiba - [see above]
Iranian Revolutionary Guards - Quds Force (Liwa Fatemiyoun)
Also known as Fatemiyoun Brigade, is an Afghan Shia militia formed in 2014 to fight in Syria on the side of the government. It is funded, trained, and equipped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and fights under the command of Iranian officers. By late 2017, the unit numbered between 10,000–20,000 fighters. Accordingto Zohair Mojahed, a cultural official in the group, the group has suffered 2,000 killed and 8,000 wounded in combat in Syria since its establishment.
The core of Liwa Fatemiyoun is constituted of the fighters of the Shia militia group Muhammad Army which was active during the Soviet–Afghan War and against the Taliban, until its collapse after the Invasion of Afghanistan, as well as the Abuzar Brigade, an all-Afghan Shia militia group who voluntarily fought in the Iran–Iraq War. In August 2016, Iranian official Qurban Ghalambor was arrested by the Afghan government for recruiting fighters for Liwa Fatemiyoun. Ghalambor had served as representative for the Ali Khamenei's office in Kabul.
The recruits are typically Hazara, a Persian-speaking Shia ethnic group from central Afghanistan, and also include children. The Iranian recruiters for Liwa Fatemiyoun are usually members of the Basij. The Afghans are promisedIranian citizenship and salaries of $500–$800 per month in return for fighting (usually a 3-month-long deployment to Syria). Many are illegal immigrants/refugees and/or criminals who choose recruitment over imprisonment or deportation, though the Iranian government generally claims that they are religiously motivated volunteers. Iranian media has claimed that the Iranian military provides Liwa Fatemiyoun fighters and their IRGC officers with Hashish to raise their morale.
In January 2019, US Treasury announced sanctions on Liwa Fatemiyoun.
Fatemiyoun leaders:
Flag commonly used:
Flag used by Liwa Fatemiyoun consist of Yellow Background with Two AKs going the opposite dutec
Allies:
Liwa Zainebiyoun - is a pro-government brigade fighting in Syria composed of Shia Pakistanis. It draws recruits from Shia Pakistanis living in Iran, Shia Hazara living in Pakistan, and native Shia of Parachinar and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It is the Pakistani version of Liwa Fatemiyoun and is backed by IRGC. Like its Afghan sister brigade, Liwa Zainebiyoun is also sanctioned by US.
Hezbollah - is a Shi'a Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon.
Iran - Liwa Zainebiyoun is equipped and funded by the Iranian government.
Syria - Liwa Zainebiyoun is allied with the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and has been fighting alongside Syrian Army soldiers.
Lashkar-e-Islam
Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) is a militant organization used to be active in Pakistan before moving its operations to Afghanistan following the 2014 Operation Zarb-e-Azb by Pakistani military. LeI was founded in 2004 by Mufti Munir Shakir. The present leader of the group is Mangal Bagh.
Lashkar-e-Islam pledged allegiance to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) before briefly pledging allegiance to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) before once again breaking away and rejoining TTP. Since then, Lashkar-e-Islam has engaged in severalbattles with ISKP in Afghanistan and has lost severalof its fighters in those battles. ISKP has declaredLashkar-e-Islam “apostates”.
Lashkar-e-Islam is banned in Pakistan.
Lashkar leaders:
Mufti Munir Shakir - Designation: Founder. Status: Alive.
Mangal Bagh - Designation: Present emir. Status: Alive. U.S. bounty of $3 million.
Saifullah Saif - Designation: Former spokesperson. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Commander Ilyas - Designation: Former commander. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Commander Wajid - Designation: Former commander. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government data does not mention Lashkar-e-Islam in its report, however according to my sources Lashkar-e-Islam maintains a presence of 50-100 militants in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: Lashkar-e-Islam uses its own version of black standard.
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - Lashkar-e-Islam pledged allegiance to TTP in 2015 before breaking away and joining Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) briefly. Lashkar then broke away from IS somewhere around 2016-17 and returned to TTP’s ranks although it mostly operates as an independent group.
Islamic State (former ally) - Lashkar-e-Islam and ISKP have both engaged in severe clashes following Lashkar’s exist from ISKP ranks.
Afghanistan - It is alleged by Afghan analysts and some Pakistani officials that Afghan government and its intelligence service provided safe haven and support to Lashkar-e-Islam in Afghanistan in an attempt to counter Pakistan.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Also known as "Army of Jhangvi", it is a Sunni supremacist and jihadist militant organisation based in Afghanistan. An offshoot of anti-Shia political party Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), the LeJ was founded by former SSP activists Riaz Basra, Malik Ishaq, Akram Lahori, and Ghulam Rasool Shah.
The LeJ has claimed responsibility for various mass casualty attacks against the Shia community in Pakistan. LeJ is a designated terrorist organisation in Pakistan, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States and the United Nations.
Afghan officials from Zabul province have claimedthat Lashkar-e Jhangvi has a sanctuary in southern Afghanistan.
LeJ leaders:
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - Also known as the Punjabi Taliban, LeJ maintains close ties with TTP.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan - LeJ was founded by activists of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and still maintains links.
Ahle Sunnat Waljamaat - Also known as ASWJ, the group is a splinter of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and maintains links with LeJ.
al-Qaeda - LeJ’s anti-IS faction maintains close ties with al-Qaeda.
Jundallah - a Pakistani jihadist group that pledged allegiance to IS and also has some elements in Afghanistan. It maintains links with pro-IS faction of LeJ.
Islamic State (disputed) - Following the killing of its chief Malik Ishaq, a large group within LeJ pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The pro-IS wing of LeJ is known as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami (LeJA). However, as per reports in 2017 and 2018, LeJA has broken ranks with IS. It is unclear if any links between LeJA and IS still exist and at what level.
Commander Nazir Group
Also known as Mullah Nazir Group, it is a splinter group of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that was founded by Mullah Nazir around 2006 with its operations primarily based in South Waziristan at the time. The group was initially seen as ‘good Taliban’ by the Pakistani state because of its opposition to foreign jihadists in Pakistan’s tribal areas, where at one point it engaged in battles against Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In 2011, the Nazir Group allied with three other major Taliban groups-- the TTP, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and the Haqqani Network-- to form another umbrella organization, the Shura-e-Murakeba. Al Qaeda brokered this alliance in order to unite various factions of the Taliban under a common plan of action. Members of the Shura-e-Murakeba refocused their efforts on fighting U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. They also agreed to refrain from attacking Pakistani security forces and committing criminal acts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas FATA.
In February 2013, the U.S. State Department designatedthe Nazir Group as a global terrorist entity and added Mullah Nazir to its list of global terrorists. The U.S. State Department justified the designation on the grounds that the Nazir Group engaged in transnational attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and provided sanctuary for Al Qaeda.
Nazir Group leaders:
Mullah Nazir - Designation: Founder and leader till 2013. Status: Dead. Killed in a U.S. drone strike in January 2013 in Angoor Adda, near Wana, South Waziristan.
Hazrat Umar - Brother of Mullah Nazir. Status: Dead. Killed in a U.S. drone strike with several other militants in South Waziristan in October 2011.
Bahawal Khan alias Salahuddin Ayubi - Successorto Mullah Nazir. Designation: Chief. Status: Unknown.
Malang Nazir - Designation: Bahawal Khan’s commander. Status: Unknown.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of Nazir Group militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, the number is estimated to be somewhere around 3,000 to 6,000.
Flag commonly used: Nazir Group typically uses the white standard commonly used by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - Al Qaeda’s mission of global jihad has ideologically influenced the Nazir Group.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - The Nazir Group briefly merged with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) when the TTP formed in 2007, but left in early 2008 due to disagreements between Maulvi Nazir and the TTP leader, Baitullah Mehsud. This split stemmed from a dispute between Nazir and Mehsud over the presence of Uzbek militants in South Waziristan. The TTP subsequently conducted several assassination attempts against Nazir, sparking open hostilities between the TTP and Nazir Group. Despite its history of conflict with the TTP, in 2009, the Nazir Group entered into an alliance with the TTP and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group. This umbrella organization, known as the Shura Ittihad al-Mujahedeen (Allied Mujahedeen Council), was formed on the command of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and the Haqqani Network patriarch Jalaluddin Haqqani. The alliance formed after the then U.S. President Barack Obama decided to deploy an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. Then in 2011, the Nazir Group joined with three other major Taliban groups-- the TTP, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and the Haqqani Network-- in order to form another umbrella organization, the Shura-e-Murakeba. Al-Qaeda brokered this alliance in order to unite various factions of the Taliban under a common plan of action. Members of the Shura-e-Murakeba decided to refocus their efforts on fighting U.S.-led coalition forces. They also agreed to refrain from attacking Pakistani security forces and committing criminal acts in the FATA.
Afghan Taliban - Nazir Group maintains close ties with the Afghan Taliban.
Haqqani Network - Nazir Group maintains close ties with the Haqqani Network.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group - Initially seen as ‘good Taliban’ by the Pakistani state, the group is a splinter faction of TTP. In July 2008 Gul Bahadur Group and Nazir Group announced the creation of the Muqami Tehrik-e Taliban, translated as the Local Taliban Movement and also referred to as the "Waziri Alliance", with Gul Bahadur as its leader and Nazir as his deputy. The alliance was formed between the two groups after their disagreements with TTP leadership over its attacks against Pakistani state. In late 2008missile strikes from U.S. drones in North Waziristan strained the peace deal with Islamabad that Gul Bahadar had agreed previously to observe in 2006. In March 2011 he threatened to pull out of the peace deal with Pakistani government after one of his top commanders Sherabat Khan Wazir was killed in Datta Khel airstrike. In 2014 conflicting reports suggest that air strikes conducted in Datakhel district of North Waziristan Agency have killed key commanders of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group including Gul Bahadur.
Pakistan - It is alleged that Pakistani state initially provided support to the Nazir Group, especially during the time when Nazir Group was clashing with Pakistan’s common enemy, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), in South Waziristan. In later years, Pakistani state largely avoided carrying out counter-terrorism operations against the Nazir Group even when it was carrying out operations against other groups. This leniency is believed to have existed due to Nazir Group’s opposition to attacks against the Pakistani state.
Other affiliations - Nazir Group also maintains close links with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and the Islamic Jihad Union.
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Also known as JeM, it is a jihadist outfit based in Pakistan and India-controlled Kashmir with a goal of waging an insurgency against Indian state. It has carried out several attacks primarily in India-controlled Kashmir, including a major attack in Pulwama in February 2019. The JeM has been banned in Pakistan since 2002. It has also been designated a terrorist group by Russia, Australia, Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the United Nations.
JeM leaders:
Masood Azhar - Designation: Founder and leader. On 1st May 2019, Masood Azhar was listed as an international terrorist by United Nations Security Council.
Abdul Rauf Asghar - Commander with JeM and brother of Masood Azhar. On December 2, 2010, the United States Treasury designated him a terrorist.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of JeM militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 100-200 JeM militants active in Afghanistan. Many of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others have defected to other groups like TTP and Islamic State.
Flag commonly used: JeM uses its own version of white and black standard.
Allies:
Hizbul Mujahideen - The group has carried out several joint attacks with JeM in India-controlled Kashmir.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - JeM also maintains operational ties with LeT and has carried out joint ops with the group in India-controlled Kashmir. According to Indian and US intelligence reports, JeM carried out the 2001 Indian Parliament attack with facilitation from LeT.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami - JeM maintains ties with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - JeM has maintained close ties with LeJ in South Punjab at least until LeJ’s leaders were executed by Pakistani security forces in 2015. It is unclear how close both groups are today.
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan - JeM has also maintained close ties with SSP in South Punjab.
Afghan Taliban - JeM is allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
al-Qaeda - JeM has maintained ties with al-Qaeda over the years. It is believed that these ties still exist at some level.
Pakistan - The state of Pakistan is believed to have maintained close ties with JeM on and off. However, in 2019 Pakistan said it has launched a campaign against JeM’s leaders and financiers.
Hizbul Mujahideen
HuM is a pro-Pakistani militant organization that is active in the regions of north-west Pakistan and seeks for the integration of India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan as an Islamic state.
The group has been designated as a terrorist group by India, the European Union, and the United States. But it continues to operate within Pakistan.
HuM leaders:
Muhammad Ahsan Dar - Designation: Founder and former head of HuM. Status: Alive but inactive somewhere in Jammu Kashmir.
Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, alias Syed Salahuddin - Designation: Present chief of HuM. Status: Alive and active, based out of Pakistan. He is listed on the MOST WANTED list of Indian intelligence agency NIA. He was also named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department Of State.
Riyaz Naikoo - Designation: HuM commander in India-controlled Kashmir valley. Status: Alive and operational.
Altaf Kachroo - Designation: HuM commander in Kulgam. Status: Dead, killed in encounter by Indian forces.
Burhan Muzaffar Wani - Designation: Commander with HuM. Status: Dead, killed in encounter by Indian forces.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of HuM militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 50-70 HuM militants active in Afghanistan. Many of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others have defected to other groups in Afghanistan.
Allies:
Lashkar-e-Taiba - HuM maintains operational ties with LeT and has carried out joint ops with the group in India-controlled Kashmir. According to Indian and US intelligence reports, JeM carried out the 2001 Indian Parliament attack with facilitation from LeT.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - HuM maintains operational ties with JeM.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami - HuM maintains ties with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Afghan Taliban - HuM is ideologically allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
Pakistan - In June 2012 in an interview, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin accepted that Pakistan had been backing Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for fight in Kashmir.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami
Harkat is a Pakistan-based Islamic extremist militant group operating primarily in India and Pakistan controlled Kashmir. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In response, the group changed its name to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The renamed group remains banned as a terrorist group in India.
Harkat is believed to have another front group named Ansar-ul-Ummah, which is primarily active in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Harkat leaders:
Fazlur Rehman Khalil - Designation: Founder of Harkat and leader of Ansar-ul-Ummah, a group that is believed to be a front for Harkat. Around 2001, he stepped down as the chief and was made Secretary General of the group. In 2018, he joined Pakistani political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
Farooq Kashmiri - Designation: Second chief of Harkat following Khalil’s stepping down. Status: Alive and active.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of Harkat militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 50-100 Harkat militants active in Afghanistan. Most of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others fight or train with al-Qaeda fighters.
Flag commonly used:
The Flag Consisted of Four Lines and two central lines been in the center of the Flag there is the
Allies:
Lashkar-e-Taiba - Harkat maintains ties with LeT.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - Harkat maintains ties with JeM.
Afghan Taliban - Harkat is ideologically allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hizbul Mujahideen - Harkat maintains ties with Hizbul Mujahideen.
al-Qaeda - Harkat founder Fazlur Rehman Khalil is believed to have old ties with al-Qaeda. In May 2004, Pakistani authorities arrested Khalil for helping transport Pakistani militants into Afghanistan. After six months he was released due to lack of evidence. After Hamid and Umer Hayat reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in June 2005 that they had received training at an al-Qaeda camp run by Khalil, he went into hiding. He resurfaced some time later.
Pakistan - Harkat is believed to be supported by Pakistani state at the height of its popularity.
This article may be updated in future.
June 2, 2019
According to U.S. and Afghan administration, there are at least 20 terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan with a total of 50,000 or more militants fighting in their ranks.
A recent 2019 report by Department of Defense’s (DoD) Lead Inspector General highlighted some of the jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan. In this article, I have compiled information on most of the groups mentioned in the U.S. DoD report but at the same time I have also included some Afghanistan-based groups that have been ignored by the U.S. DoD. This article may be updated in future with more groups.
Islamic State in Khorasan Province
ISKP operates in Afghanistan and also covered Pakistan and surrounding areas until recently when Islamic State announced Wilayat Pakistan and Wilayat al-Hind. Now ISKP is only in-charge for IS operations in Afghanistan.
ISKP leaders:
- Abdul Rauf Aliza - Designation: Former Deputy Emir. Status: Dead.
- Sheikh Abdul Hasib - Designation: Former Emir. Status: Dead.
- Hafiz Saeed Khan alias Abu Saeed -Designation: Former Emir. Status: Dead.
- Abu Saad Erhabi - Designation: Former Emir. Status: Dead.
- Qari Hekmat - Field Commander. Status: Dead.
- Mufti Nemat - Field Commander. Status: Surrendered.
- Dawood Ahmad Sofi - Chief of Islamic State in Jammu & Kashmir (ISJK), a franchise that fell under ISKP before the announcement of Wilayah Hind. Status: Dead.
- Gul Zaman - Designation: Senior commander in ISKP. Status: Dead.
Flag commonly used: ISKP uses the same black standard that is commonly used by IS and all its affiliates.
Allies:
Jundallah - a Pakistani jihadist group that also has some elements in Afghanistan.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (former ally) - a Pakistan-focused jihadist group largely based in Afghanistan. Remained allied with ISKP from 2014 to 2015.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Alami (disputed status) - LeJA initially pledged allegiance to IS before breaking away somewhere around 2017-18. However, a pro-IS faction within LeJA is still allied with ISKP as per Pakistani intelligence inputs.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Militants from other groups: Hundreds of militants, along with commanders, from several other regional jihadist groups in the region like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, etc have joined ISKP over the years.
Haqqani Network
The Haqqani Network is an Afghan guerrilla insurgent group using asymmetric warfare to fight against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. It operates mainly in Afghanistan but is also believed to have some presence in some border areas of Pakistan. The Haqqani Network pledged allegiance to the Taliban in 1995. Haqqani Network is also believed to have close ties with al-Qaeda. In the 1980s, the Haqqani network was one of the most favored CIA-funded anti-Soviet guerrilla groups by the Reagan administration. In 2012, the United States designated the Haqqani Network as a terrorist organization. In 2015, Pakistan also banned the Haqqani Network as part of its National Action Plan.
Haqqani Network leaders:
- Jalaluddin Haqqani - Designation: Former Chief. Status: Deceased.
- Sirajuddin Haqqani - Designation: Current Chief. Status: Alive and operational.
- Badruddin Haqqani - Designation: Former Operational Commander. Status: Dead, killed in a drone strike in 2012.
- Nasiruddin Haqqani - Designation: Key Financier. Status: Dead, killed in 2013 in Pakistan.
Flag commonly used: Haqqani Network uses the same white standard and black standard that is used by the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - Haqqani Network is embedded within the Afghan Taliban.
al-Qaeda - Haqqani Network maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) used to operate mainly in Pakistan before Pakistani military’s Operation Zarb-e-Azbin 2014. However, following the operation, TTP started moving its operations to Afghanistan, which is where it is primarily based today with some sleeper cells and sympathizers left in Pakistan.
TTP is comprised of several smaller jihadist factions. In December 2007, about 13 groups united under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud to form the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Among the TTP’s stated objectives are resistance against the Pakistani state and the establishment of a “true Islamic state” in Pakistan. TTP largely depends on the tribal belt on both sides along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to draw its recruits. TTP draws ideological guidance from al-Qaeda and maintain close ties with it.
Officially, Afghan Taliban are not affiliated nor maintain any relation to TTP, although Afghan Taliban also do not carry out action against TTP since it moved operations to Afghanistan.
TTP leaders:
- Baitullah Mehsud - Designation: Former emir (Dec. 2007 – Aug. 2009). Status: Dead.
- Hakimullah Mehsud - Designation: Former emir (22 August 2009 – 1 November 2013). Status: Dead.
- Maulana Fazlullah - Designation: Former emir (7 November 2013 – 12 June 2018). Status: Dead.
- Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud - Designation: Present emir (current leader, 23 June 2018 – present). Status: Alive and operational.
- Maulana Muhammad Ali Balti alias Muhammad Khurasani alias Mufti Khalid - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive.
- Shahidullah Shahid - Former spokesperson of TTP before he joined Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Status: Dead.
Flag commonly used: TTP used the white standard typically used by the Afghan Taliban until September 2018. The new TTP flag is a white and black standard with some similarity with the common black standard used by Islamic State.
al-Qaeda - TTP maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which is now largely defunct in Pakistan after assassinations of its leaders by Pakistani security forces, was and is still allied with TTP. LeJ is also known as the Punjabi Taliban.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar - Also known as JuA, the group splintered from TTP in 2014 over disagreement with TTP leadership over peace talks with Pakistani government. JuA became a large TTP faction after it merged with Ahrar-ul-Hind, another splinter group of TTP. Omar Khalid Khorasani was named the first emir of JuA. After breaking away from TTP, JuA pledged allegiance to Islamic State and became a part of the Khorasan Province or ISKP. But in 2015, JuA announced that is has once again pledged allegiance to the then TTP emir Mullah Fazlullah.
Hizbul Ahrar - Also known as HuA, it is a splinter group of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and is unofficially allied with TTP. A statement released by HuA in early 2019 said that is open to collaboration with other jihadist groups. In the following months, HuA announced multiple joint operations with another jihadist group without naming it, however Pakistani intelligence officials believe that the group HuA was referring to is a faction within TTP that is collaborating with HuA with permission from top TTP leadership.
Afghanistan - Ever since TTP moved its operations to Afghanistan, it has been alleged by several analysts, as well as privately and publicly by Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. officials and former officials, that TTP receivessupport from Afghanistan’s intelligence service the NDS or National Directorate of Security.This alleged relationship between NDS and TTP is believed to be in counter to Pakistan’s alleged role in supporting the Afghan Taliban, a group which is fighting an insurgency against the government and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan)
The Taliban emerged in 1994 as one of the prominent factions in the Afghan Civil War. From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban held power over roughly three quarters of Afghanistan, and enforced there a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. largely consisted of students (talib) from the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan who had been educated in traditional Islamic schools, and fought during the Soviet–Afghan War. At its peak, formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban's government in Afghanistan was acknowledged by only three nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The group later regrouped as an insurgency movement to fight the American-backed Karzai administration and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the War in Afghanistan.
Taliban’s leadership is believed to be based in Pakistan’s border areas by U.S. and Afghan officials. The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence and military are widely alleged by the international community and the Afghan government to have provided support to the Taliban during their founding and time in power, and of continuing to support the Taliban during the insurgency. Pakistan states that it dropped all support for the group after the September 11 attacks.
A Jan 2019 U.S. government report by Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (Sigar) said that as of Oct. 31, 2018 the Afghan government controlled territory on which 63.5 percent of its population lived, a decrease of 1.7 percent from the previous quarter, while gains by the Taliban insurgency gave it control over territory that is home to 10.8 percent of the population. The report further said that only 53.8 percent of districts were “controlled or influenced” by the government, while 12.3 percent of the districts were under insurgent control or influence and 33.9 percent of districts were contested.
Taliban leaders:
- Mullah Mohammed Omar - Designation: Former emir (founder, 1994–2013). Status: Deceased.
- Akhtar Mansour - Designation: Former emir (2015–2016). Status: Deceased.
- Hibatullah Akhundzada - Designation: Present emir (current leader, 2016–present). Status: Alive and operational.
- Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar - Designation: Co-founder of Taliban, senior commander and former deputy to Mullah Omar. Status: Alive and operational.
- Zabiullah Mujahid - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive and operational.
- Qari Yousef Ahmadi - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive and operational.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: The Taliban are estimated to have somewhere 25,000 to 40,000 fighters in Afghanistan as per U.S. government reports.
Flag commonly used: Taliban use the white standard as its official flag.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - Afghan Taliban maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Haqqani Network - Taliban maintains close relation with the Haqqani Network. Haqqani Network’s operatives fight while embedded in Taliban ranks.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group active in Kashmir. The group's primary motive is to separate Kashmir from India and merge it into Pakistan. It maintains close ties with Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - Also known as Turkistan Islamic Party, the group is allied with Afghan Taliban.
Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi - Also known in English as the Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law or TNSM in short, the Pakistani militant group maintains close links with the Afghan Taliban. While the group is largely defunct now in Pakistan since its leader Sufi Muhammad renounced violence and was freed from a Pakistani jail in 2008, several of its fighters are still fighting in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban.
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - was a militant Jihadist organisation active in the southwestern region of the Russian Federation. Its intention was to expel the Russian presence from the North Caucasus and to establish an independent Islamic emirate in the region. At the time of its peak, the group was allied with the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda. However, by 2015 the group went defunct after most of its fighters defected to the Islamic State. Some Chechen fighters from the group are still believed to be fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (former ally) - remained allied with the Afghan Taliban until 2016, when its leadership signed a peace deal with the Afghan government in Kabul under President Ghani.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Islamic Jihad Union - The Islamic Jihad Union (also known as the Islamic Jihad Group) is a splinter faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, another al Qaeda-linked terror group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border, and was founded in 2002. Central Asians, Turks, and Germans make up a significant portion of the IJU. The German fighters are often referred to as German Taliban, and they have carried out attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Russia - These five countries are alleged to have supported or still supporting the Taliban on different levels by various parties. Afghan officials allege that Pakistan still supports the Taliban and that the leadership of Taliban is allegedly based in Pakistan. Pakistan states it stopped supporting the Taliban after 9/11 attacks. It is also alleged that Saudi Arabia was supporting the Taliban until as recently as 2013 and that some private Saudi citizens allegedly still financially support the group. Taliban maintain their political office in Qatar, another country that is alleged to have financially supported the Taliban. Iran is also believed to have supported the Taliban in multiple ways in an attempt to counter U.S. influence in its neighboring region. Russia, an old foe of the Taliban, has also mended its relations with the group and is currently alleged to be enjoying close relations with the Taliban in an attempt to counter U.S. influence in the region.
Islamic Emirate High Council
IEHC is a splinter group of Afghan Taliban, formed in 2015 by Mullah Rasul as a result of a disagreement over the ascension of Mullah Akhtar Mansour as leader of the Taliban. Before founding his own splinter group, Rasul was a Taliban-appointed governor of Nimruz Province in Afghanistan. Rasul exerted economic pressures on ethnic and religious minorities unpopular with the Taliban, and made a considerable fortune controlling cross-border drug-smuggling through Nimruz. He is said to have enjoyed close relations with former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, and is considered to have been an "old and trusted friend" to him. Rasul's followers accused slain former emir of Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour of hijacking the movement due to personal greed. Rasul says that he and his supporters tried to persuade him to step down and let the new leader be chosen by the Taliban council, but Mansour refused. Rasul's group has voiced support for the actions of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State abroad however, he has stated that neither group is welcome in Afghanistan. The group is alleged to be a client of Iran and has also been reported of being supported by Afghan government though both the group and Afghan officials have denied this.
IEHC leaders:
Mullah Muhammad Rasul - Designation: Present Emir. Status: Alive and operational.
Abdul Manan Niazi - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive and operational.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate High Council is believed to have around 1,000 active fighters in Afghanistan according to U.S. government data.
Flag commonly used: IEHC largely uses the same white standard as the Afghan Taliban.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - IEHC emir Mullah Rasul has voiced support for al-Qaeda outside of Afghanistan.
Islamic State - IEHC emir Mullah Rasul has voiced support for IS outside of Afghanistan. But there have also been allegations by Afghan Taliban as well as local Afghan government officials that IEHC is very close to Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP).
Afghanistan - IEHC is also alleged to have some support from Afghan government in Kabul in an attempt to weaken the Afghan Taliban group.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
A large portion of IMU pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 and became part of ISKP. However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliance with al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Remnants of IMU continue to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
IMU has been designated as a terrorist organisation by: Australia, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, European Union, United States of America.
IMU leaders:
- Tahir Yuldashev - Designation: Co-founder and former leader. Status: Killed in action.
- Juma Namangani - Designation: Co-founder and former leader. Status: Killed in action.
- Abu Usman Adil - Designation: Former leader. Status: Killed in action.
- Usman Ghazi - Designation: Former leader who later pledged allegiance to Islamic State along with a large portion of IMU fighters and commanders. Status: Killed in action.
- Commander Abbos Mansoor - Designation: Military commander. Status: Killed in action.
- Abdul Hakim al Tatari - Russian Tatar fighter who spent almost 15 years with IMU before joining Islamic State along with other IMU fighters and commanders. Status: Dead.
Flag commonly used: IMU uses the black standard commonly used by al-Qaeda.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - IMU maintains close links with al-Qaeda.
Islamic State - IMU fighters who defected to IS in 2015 are presently fighting alongside ISKP in Afghanistan.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - IMU is also allied with TTP and has carried out joint attacks with TTP in Pakistan in the past.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - Also known as Turkistan Islamic Party, the group is allied with IMU.
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - was a militant Jihadist organisation active in the southwestern region of the Russian Federation. Its intention was to expel the Russian presence from the North Caucasus and to establish an independent Islamic emirate in the region. At the time of its peak, the group was allied with the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda. However, by 2015 the group went defunct after most of its fighters defected to the Islamic State. Some Chechen fighters from the group are still believed to be fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda
al-Qaeda is a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and several other Arab volunteers during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The group maintains presence in Afghanistan to this date since before 9/11 attacks.
al-Qaeda leaders:
- Osama bin Laden - Designation: Founder and former emir (1988–2011). Status: Dead.
- Ayman al-Zawahiri - Designation: Present emir (2011–present). Status: Alive and operational.
- Asim Umar, alias Asim Umer, alias Maulana Asim Umar, alias Sanaul Haq - Designation: Present emir of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. Status: Alive and operational.
- Usama Ibrahim alias Usama Mehmood - Designation: Present spokesperson of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. Status: Alive and operational.
Flag commonly used: al-Qaeda commonly uses the black standard as its flag.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - Despite denial from Taliban, U.S. officials believe it still enjoys close ties with al-Qaeda.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - [see above]
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - [see above]
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Islamic Jihad Union - [see above]
Haqqani Network - [see above]
Jaish-e-Mohammed - is a Pakistan-based Deobandi jihadist group active in Kashmir. The group's primary motive is to separate Kashmir from India and merge it into Pakistan. It maintains close ties with Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Jemaah Islamiyah - is a Southeast Asian militant extremist Islamist group dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia. It has cells in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The group has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It remained very active in Indonesia where it publicly maintained a website as of January 2013.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Turkistan Islamic Party)
Popularly known these days as the Turkistan Islamic Party(TIP), it is a jihadist organisation founded by Uyghur jihadists in western China, considered broadly as a terrorist group. Its stated goals are to establish an independent state called "East Turkestan" in Xinjiang. According to a Chinese report, published in 2002, between 1990 and 2001 the ETIM had committed over 200 acts of terrorism, resulting in at least 162 deaths and over 440 injuries. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and Pakistan. Its Syrian branch is active in the Syrian Civil War.
ETIM leaders:
- Zeydin Yusup - Designation: Founder and former leader. Status: Dead.
- Hasan Mahsum - Designation: Founding member. Status: Dead.
- Abdul Haq al-Turkistani - Designation: Present emir. Status: Alive and operational.
- Emeti Yakuf alias Abdul Shakoor al-Turkistani - Designation: Former emir. Status: Believed to be dead.
- Abdullah Mansour - Designation: Former emir and present deputy emir. Status: Believed to be alive.
Flag commonly used: Apart from its own flag, ETIM also sometimes uses the black standard used by al-Qaeda.
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Lashkar-e-Taiba
It is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden. Its headquarters are allegedly based in Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group allegedly operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The organisation is banned as a terrorist organization by India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, Australia, Pakistan and the United Nations (under the UNSC Resolution 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions List). Whilst LeT remains banned in Pakistan, the political arm of the group, Jamat ud Dawah (JuD) has remained un-banned for spans of time. As of February 2019, it is deemed as a proscribed organisationper an order of the Interior Ministry.
LeT leaders:
- Hafiz Muhammad Saeed - living in Pakistan and is the founder of LeT and emir of its political arm, JuD.
- Abdul Rehman Makki - living in Pakistan and is second in command of LeT. He is the brother-in-law of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Makki was arrested in May 2019 by Pakistani authorities.
- Zarrar Shah - remains in Pakistani custody and is believed to be a "central character" in the planning behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks by U.S. officials.
- David Headley - conspired in plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He is currently in jail in the United States of America.
Flag commonly used: LeT uses its own version of white and black standard.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) - LeT supports the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan.
al-Qaeda - LeT is also alleged to have developed ties with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Islamic State - Some LeT militants have defected to the IS branch in Afghanistan.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - LeT is alleged to have close links with JeM.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen - LeT maintains close ties with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and has carried out several joint operations in India-administered Kashmir.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Also known as JuA, the group splintered from TTP in 2014 over disagreement with TTP leadership over peace talks with Pakistani government. JuA became a large TTP faction after it merged with Ahrar-ul-Hind, another splinter group of TTP. Omar Khalid Khorasani was named the first emir of JuA. After breaking away from TTP, JuA pledged allegiance to Islamic State and became a part of the Khorasan Province or ISKP. But in 2015, JuA announced that is has once again pledged allegiance to the then TTP emir Mullah Fazlullah. Today the group primarily operates from Afghanistan but has not claimed any attack in Pakistan in almost two years.
JuA leaders:
Omar Khalid Khurasani - Designation: Present emir. Status: Believed to be still alive somewhere in Afghanistan. There’s a $3 million bounty on him by U.S. government.
Asad Mansoor - Designation: Former spokesperson. Status: Surrendered to Pakistani security forces in 2018.
Ehsanullah Ehsan - Designation: Former spokesperson. He surrendered himself to Pakistan's security forces in April 2017.
Abu Jandal - Senior commander with JuA who was killed in an operation by Pakistani security forces in Khyber Agency in 2015.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:According to U.S. government data, around 200 JuA militants are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: JuA uses the white standard commonly used by the Taliban.
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - JuA splintered from TTP in 2014 before rejoining it in 2015.
Islamic State - JuA briefly remained allied to IS branch in Afghanistan before rejoining TTP.
Hizbul Ahrar
Also known as HuA, the group is a splinter of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and was formed on 11 November 2017 in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan while an official announcement of its formation was made via a video on 12 November. Militant commander Mukarram Khan alias Omar Khurasani, who used to be with JuA before, was made the emir of the group.
Mukkaram Khan, who belongs to Mohmand Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in his first video message said that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was involved in anti-Islamic acts committed in the name of jihad, thus compelling them to start their own group. In this respect, he particularly mentioned terrorist attacks against National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office in Mardan, attack on security forces at Wahga border, attacks in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park Lahore, which claimed the lives of many Christians, and other such attacks carried out around the country. He said that these terrorist attacks had cost the lives of innocent people, including women and children. In the video he recalled that Jamata-ul-Ahrar had claimed responsibility for all these attacks. He claimed that he had made attempts to bring reforms in JuA, but failed to achieve any success. He also accused Khalid Khurasani, chief of JuA, of attacking him in which he was also injured. He claimed that a number of leading commanders have also announced disassociation from the JuA, and now they were a part of Hizb-ul-Ahrar.
In April 2018, Hizbul Ahrar launched Operation Ibne Qasimor Bin Qasim against the Pakistani security forces and other state apparatus, which apparently concluded by the end of 2018. In February 2019, Hizbul Ahrar announced a new operation against Pakistani security forces dubbed as Operation Shamzai. HuA’s second operation is still ongoing and HuA has so far claimed dozens of attacks in Pakistan as part of this operation.
HuA leaders:
Mukarram Khan alias Omar Khurasani - Designation: Present emir. Status: Alive.
Dr Aziz Yousafzai - Designation: Present spokesperson. Status: Alive.
Jihadyar Mehsud - Designation: Military Wing chief. Status: Dead.
Muslimyar - Designation: Financial Commission chief. Status: Unknown.
Haji Rashid - Designation: Political Commission chief. Status: Unknown.
Imran Aurakzai - Designation: Commander for HuA for Mohmand Agency. Status: Unknown.
Umar Kamal Bajauri - Designation: Commander for HuA for Bajaur Agency. Status: Dead.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
The U.S. government appears to have largely ignored Hizbul Ahrar in its reports even though the group was formed in Afghanistan and continues to function from Afghanistan, my sources estimate the number of Hizbul Ahrar fighters present in Afghanistan somewhere around 100-300.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: The U.S. government appears to have largely ignored Hizbul Ahrar in its reports even though the group was formed in Afghanistan and continues to function from Afghanistan, my sources estimate the number of Hizbul Ahrar fighters present in Afghanistan somewhere around 100-300.
Flag commonly used: HuA uses its own version of white and black standard.
Tariq Gidar Group
The Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) is a splinter group of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group was formed in Darra Adam Khel, Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan, in 2007.
The TGG has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan. Among the multiple large-scale, fatal attacks for which the TGG is responsible is the December 16, 2014, massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, that left 132 schoolchildren and nine staffers dead—the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history. The group’s leader is also known as the mastermind of the January 2016 attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan, that killed 20 and wounded between 50 and 60 others. Some of the other major terrorist attacks for which the TGG has claimed responsibility are the September 22, 2013, bombing of a church in Peshawar; the December 15, 2012, attack on Bacha Khan Airport in Peshawar; the December 3, 2012, attack on the Consulate General of the United States in Peshawar; and the October 14, 2012, attack on Ghaziabad Public School in Peshawar.
In addition to these devastating attacks, the TGG is responsible for the 2010 kidnapping of a British journalist traveling to North Waziristan, Pakistan, and the 2008 kidnapping and beheading of a Polish geologist in Attock, Pakistan.
Pakistan’s military operation Zarb-e-Azb targeted the TGG. The group continues to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan in collaboration with TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). Apprehended members of the group have confessed that the group was involved in a number of major terrorist attacks.
TGG is a designated terrorist organisation by United Nations Security Council.
TGG leaders:
Khalifa Umar Mansoor - Designation: Commander with TGG. Status: Dead. Killed in Afghanistan in 2016.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
According to U.S. government data, 100-300 TGG militants are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: TGG uses the white standard commonly used by the Afghan Taliban.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - TGG is believed to have close links with Afghan Taliban.
al-Qaeda - TGG is believed to have developed links with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Islamic Jihad Union
The Islamic Jihad Union (also known as the Islamic Jihad Group) is a splinter faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, another al Qaeda-linked terror group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border, and was founded in 2002. Central Asians, Turks, and Germans make up a significant portion of the IJU. The German fighters are often referred to as German Taliban, and they have carried out attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
IJU leaders:
Akhtar Mansoor - Dead
Najmiddin Jalolov - Dead
Abu Omar al-Turkistani - Remained with IJU as a commander in Afghanistan until 2015 before leaving for Syria where he served with al-Nusra Front and Turkistan Islamic Party. Status: Killed in U.S. drone strike in 2017.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan:
According to U.S. government data, some 25 active militants belonging to IJU are present in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: Black standard commonly used by al-Qaeda.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
East Turkestan Islamic Movement - [see above]
Caucus Emirate (status disputed) - [see above]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Jamaat Dawa Quran
Jamaat Dawa Quran (JDQ), which is “based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan” has “long-standing ties to al Qaeda and Lashkar e-Tayyiba,” according to the U.S. State Department in 2016. JDQ, which is also known as the Jamaat al Dawa ila al Sunnah, Jamaat ud Dawa il al Quran al Sunnah, and the Salafi Group, operates primarily in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
In January 2010, JDQ pledged an oath of allegiance to then Afghan Taliban emir Mullah Omar. That pledge was accepted by the Taliban. It was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by U.S. State Department in 2016.
JDQ leaders:
- Haji Sahib Rohullah Wakil - Former Guantanamo detainee who was later transferred to the American wing of the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is believed to be the overall in-charge of operations of JDQ.
- Jamil al-Rahman - Founder and former leader of JDQ. He was assassinated in 1991.
- Sabar Lal Melma - Believed to be senior member of JDQ. Status: Dead.
Flag commonly used: Unknown.
Allies:
Afghan Taliban - [see above]
al-Qaeda - [see above]
Lashkar-e-Taiba - [see above]
Iranian Revolutionary Guards - Quds Force (Liwa Fatemiyoun)
Also known as Fatemiyoun Brigade, is an Afghan Shia militia formed in 2014 to fight in Syria on the side of the government. It is funded, trained, and equipped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and fights under the command of Iranian officers. By late 2017, the unit numbered between 10,000–20,000 fighters. Accordingto Zohair Mojahed, a cultural official in the group, the group has suffered 2,000 killed and 8,000 wounded in combat in Syria since its establishment.
The core of Liwa Fatemiyoun is constituted of the fighters of the Shia militia group Muhammad Army which was active during the Soviet–Afghan War and against the Taliban, until its collapse after the Invasion of Afghanistan, as well as the Abuzar Brigade, an all-Afghan Shia militia group who voluntarily fought in the Iran–Iraq War. In August 2016, Iranian official Qurban Ghalambor was arrested by the Afghan government for recruiting fighters for Liwa Fatemiyoun. Ghalambor had served as representative for the Ali Khamenei's office in Kabul.
The recruits are typically Hazara, a Persian-speaking Shia ethnic group from central Afghanistan, and also include children. The Iranian recruiters for Liwa Fatemiyoun are usually members of the Basij. The Afghans are promisedIranian citizenship and salaries of $500–$800 per month in return for fighting (usually a 3-month-long deployment to Syria). Many are illegal immigrants/refugees and/or criminals who choose recruitment over imprisonment or deportation, though the Iranian government generally claims that they are religiously motivated volunteers. Iranian media has claimed that the Iranian military provides Liwa Fatemiyoun fighters and their IRGC officers with Hashish to raise their morale.
In January 2019, US Treasury announced sanctions on Liwa Fatemiyoun.
Fatemiyoun leaders:
- Ali Reza Tavassoli ("Abu Hamed Ali Sah Xakis") - Dead.
- Mostafa Sardarzadeh - Dead.
- Hussain Fedayee ("Zulfiqar") - Dead.
Flag commonly used:
Flag used by Liwa Fatemiyoun consist of Yellow Background with Two AKs going the opposite dutec
Allies:
Liwa Zainebiyoun - is a pro-government brigade fighting in Syria composed of Shia Pakistanis. It draws recruits from Shia Pakistanis living in Iran, Shia Hazara living in Pakistan, and native Shia of Parachinar and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It is the Pakistani version of Liwa Fatemiyoun and is backed by IRGC. Like its Afghan sister brigade, Liwa Zainebiyoun is also sanctioned by US.
Hezbollah - is a Shi'a Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon.
Iran - Liwa Zainebiyoun is equipped and funded by the Iranian government.
Syria - Liwa Zainebiyoun is allied with the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and has been fighting alongside Syrian Army soldiers.
Lashkar-e-Islam
Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) is a militant organization used to be active in Pakistan before moving its operations to Afghanistan following the 2014 Operation Zarb-e-Azb by Pakistani military. LeI was founded in 2004 by Mufti Munir Shakir. The present leader of the group is Mangal Bagh.
Lashkar-e-Islam pledged allegiance to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) before briefly pledging allegiance to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) before once again breaking away and rejoining TTP. Since then, Lashkar-e-Islam has engaged in severalbattles with ISKP in Afghanistan and has lost severalof its fighters in those battles. ISKP has declaredLashkar-e-Islam “apostates”.
Lashkar-e-Islam is banned in Pakistan.
Lashkar leaders:
Mufti Munir Shakir - Designation: Founder. Status: Alive.
Mangal Bagh - Designation: Present emir. Status: Alive. U.S. bounty of $3 million.
Saifullah Saif - Designation: Former spokesperson. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Commander Ilyas - Designation: Former commander. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Commander Wajid - Designation: Former commander. Status: Surrendered to Pakistan.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government data does not mention Lashkar-e-Islam in its report, however according to my sources Lashkar-e-Islam maintains a presence of 50-100 militants in Afghanistan.
Flag commonly used: Lashkar-e-Islam uses its own version of black standard.
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - Lashkar-e-Islam pledged allegiance to TTP in 2015 before breaking away and joining Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) briefly. Lashkar then broke away from IS somewhere around 2016-17 and returned to TTP’s ranks although it mostly operates as an independent group.
Islamic State (former ally) - Lashkar-e-Islam and ISKP have both engaged in severe clashes following Lashkar’s exist from ISKP ranks.
Afghanistan - It is alleged by Afghan analysts and some Pakistani officials that Afghan government and its intelligence service provided safe haven and support to Lashkar-e-Islam in Afghanistan in an attempt to counter Pakistan.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Also known as "Army of Jhangvi", it is a Sunni supremacist and jihadist militant organisation based in Afghanistan. An offshoot of anti-Shia political party Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), the LeJ was founded by former SSP activists Riaz Basra, Malik Ishaq, Akram Lahori, and Ghulam Rasool Shah.
The LeJ has claimed responsibility for various mass casualty attacks against the Shia community in Pakistan. LeJ is a designated terrorist organisation in Pakistan, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States and the United Nations.
Afghan officials from Zabul province have claimedthat Lashkar-e Jhangvi has a sanctuary in southern Afghanistan.
LeJ leaders:
- Riaz Basra - Dead
- Malik Ishaq - Dead
- Akram Lahori - Dead
- Ghulam Rasool Shah - Dead
- Asif Chotu - Dead
- Qari Mohammad Yasin - Dead
- Yousuf Mansoor Khurasani - Leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami (pro-IS) faction.
- Ali Bin Sufyan - Spokesperson of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami (pro-IS) faction.
Allies:
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - Also known as the Punjabi Taliban, LeJ maintains close ties with TTP.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - [see above]
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan - LeJ was founded by activists of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and still maintains links.
Ahle Sunnat Waljamaat - Also known as ASWJ, the group is a splinter of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and maintains links with LeJ.
al-Qaeda - LeJ’s anti-IS faction maintains close ties with al-Qaeda.
Jundallah - a Pakistani jihadist group that pledged allegiance to IS and also has some elements in Afghanistan. It maintains links with pro-IS faction of LeJ.
Islamic State (disputed) - Following the killing of its chief Malik Ishaq, a large group within LeJ pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The pro-IS wing of LeJ is known as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami (LeJA). However, as per reports in 2017 and 2018, LeJA has broken ranks with IS. It is unclear if any links between LeJA and IS still exist and at what level.
Commander Nazir Group
Also known as Mullah Nazir Group, it is a splinter group of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that was founded by Mullah Nazir around 2006 with its operations primarily based in South Waziristan at the time. The group was initially seen as ‘good Taliban’ by the Pakistani state because of its opposition to foreign jihadists in Pakistan’s tribal areas, where at one point it engaged in battles against Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In 2011, the Nazir Group allied with three other major Taliban groups-- the TTP, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and the Haqqani Network-- to form another umbrella organization, the Shura-e-Murakeba. Al Qaeda brokered this alliance in order to unite various factions of the Taliban under a common plan of action. Members of the Shura-e-Murakeba refocused their efforts on fighting U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. They also agreed to refrain from attacking Pakistani security forces and committing criminal acts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas FATA.
In February 2013, the U.S. State Department designatedthe Nazir Group as a global terrorist entity and added Mullah Nazir to its list of global terrorists. The U.S. State Department justified the designation on the grounds that the Nazir Group engaged in transnational attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and provided sanctuary for Al Qaeda.
Nazir Group leaders:
Mullah Nazir - Designation: Founder and leader till 2013. Status: Dead. Killed in a U.S. drone strike in January 2013 in Angoor Adda, near Wana, South Waziristan.
Hazrat Umar - Brother of Mullah Nazir. Status: Dead. Killed in a U.S. drone strike with several other militants in South Waziristan in October 2011.
Bahawal Khan alias Salahuddin Ayubi - Successorto Mullah Nazir. Designation: Chief. Status: Unknown.
Malang Nazir - Designation: Bahawal Khan’s commander. Status: Unknown.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of Nazir Group militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, the number is estimated to be somewhere around 3,000 to 6,000.
Flag commonly used: Nazir Group typically uses the white standard commonly used by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Allies:
al-Qaeda - Al Qaeda’s mission of global jihad has ideologically influenced the Nazir Group.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - The Nazir Group briefly merged with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) when the TTP formed in 2007, but left in early 2008 due to disagreements between Maulvi Nazir and the TTP leader, Baitullah Mehsud. This split stemmed from a dispute between Nazir and Mehsud over the presence of Uzbek militants in South Waziristan. The TTP subsequently conducted several assassination attempts against Nazir, sparking open hostilities between the TTP and Nazir Group. Despite its history of conflict with the TTP, in 2009, the Nazir Group entered into an alliance with the TTP and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group. This umbrella organization, known as the Shura Ittihad al-Mujahedeen (Allied Mujahedeen Council), was formed on the command of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and the Haqqani Network patriarch Jalaluddin Haqqani. The alliance formed after the then U.S. President Barack Obama decided to deploy an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. Then in 2011, the Nazir Group joined with three other major Taliban groups-- the TTP, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and the Haqqani Network-- in order to form another umbrella organization, the Shura-e-Murakeba. Al-Qaeda brokered this alliance in order to unite various factions of the Taliban under a common plan of action. Members of the Shura-e-Murakeba decided to refocus their efforts on fighting U.S.-led coalition forces. They also agreed to refrain from attacking Pakistani security forces and committing criminal acts in the FATA.
Afghan Taliban - Nazir Group maintains close ties with the Afghan Taliban.
Haqqani Network - Nazir Group maintains close ties with the Haqqani Network.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group - Initially seen as ‘good Taliban’ by the Pakistani state, the group is a splinter faction of TTP. In July 2008 Gul Bahadur Group and Nazir Group announced the creation of the Muqami Tehrik-e Taliban, translated as the Local Taliban Movement and also referred to as the "Waziri Alliance", with Gul Bahadur as its leader and Nazir as his deputy. The alliance was formed between the two groups after their disagreements with TTP leadership over its attacks against Pakistani state. In late 2008missile strikes from U.S. drones in North Waziristan strained the peace deal with Islamabad that Gul Bahadar had agreed previously to observe in 2006. In March 2011 he threatened to pull out of the peace deal with Pakistani government after one of his top commanders Sherabat Khan Wazir was killed in Datta Khel airstrike. In 2014 conflicting reports suggest that air strikes conducted in Datakhel district of North Waziristan Agency have killed key commanders of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group including Gul Bahadur.
Pakistan - It is alleged that Pakistani state initially provided support to the Nazir Group, especially during the time when Nazir Group was clashing with Pakistan’s common enemy, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), in South Waziristan. In later years, Pakistani state largely avoided carrying out counter-terrorism operations against the Nazir Group even when it was carrying out operations against other groups. This leniency is believed to have existed due to Nazir Group’s opposition to attacks against the Pakistani state.
Other affiliations - Nazir Group also maintains close links with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and the Islamic Jihad Union.
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Also known as JeM, it is a jihadist outfit based in Pakistan and India-controlled Kashmir with a goal of waging an insurgency against Indian state. It has carried out several attacks primarily in India-controlled Kashmir, including a major attack in Pulwama in February 2019. The JeM has been banned in Pakistan since 2002. It has also been designated a terrorist group by Russia, Australia, Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the United Nations.
JeM leaders:
Masood Azhar - Designation: Founder and leader. On 1st May 2019, Masood Azhar was listed as an international terrorist by United Nations Security Council.
Abdul Rauf Asghar - Commander with JeM and brother of Masood Azhar. On December 2, 2010, the United States Treasury designated him a terrorist.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of JeM militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 100-200 JeM militants active in Afghanistan. Many of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others have defected to other groups like TTP and Islamic State.
Flag commonly used: JeM uses its own version of white and black standard.
Allies:
Hizbul Mujahideen - The group has carried out several joint attacks with JeM in India-controlled Kashmir.
Lashkar-e-Taiba - JeM also maintains operational ties with LeT and has carried out joint ops with the group in India-controlled Kashmir. According to Indian and US intelligence reports, JeM carried out the 2001 Indian Parliament attack with facilitation from LeT.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami - JeM maintains ties with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - JeM has maintained close ties with LeJ in South Punjab at least until LeJ’s leaders were executed by Pakistani security forces in 2015. It is unclear how close both groups are today.
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan - JeM has also maintained close ties with SSP in South Punjab.
Afghan Taliban - JeM is allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
al-Qaeda - JeM has maintained ties with al-Qaeda over the years. It is believed that these ties still exist at some level.
Pakistan - The state of Pakistan is believed to have maintained close ties with JeM on and off. However, in 2019 Pakistan said it has launched a campaign against JeM’s leaders and financiers.
Hizbul Mujahideen
HuM is a pro-Pakistani militant organization that is active in the regions of north-west Pakistan and seeks for the integration of India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan as an Islamic state.
The group has been designated as a terrorist group by India, the European Union, and the United States. But it continues to operate within Pakistan.
HuM leaders:
Muhammad Ahsan Dar - Designation: Founder and former head of HuM. Status: Alive but inactive somewhere in Jammu Kashmir.
Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, alias Syed Salahuddin - Designation: Present chief of HuM. Status: Alive and active, based out of Pakistan. He is listed on the MOST WANTED list of Indian intelligence agency NIA. He was also named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department Of State.
Riyaz Naikoo - Designation: HuM commander in India-controlled Kashmir valley. Status: Alive and operational.
Altaf Kachroo - Designation: HuM commander in Kulgam. Status: Dead, killed in encounter by Indian forces.
Burhan Muzaffar Wani - Designation: Commander with HuM. Status: Dead, killed in encounter by Indian forces.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of HuM militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 50-70 HuM militants active in Afghanistan. Many of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others have defected to other groups in Afghanistan.
Allies:
Lashkar-e-Taiba - HuM maintains operational ties with LeT and has carried out joint ops with the group in India-controlled Kashmir. According to Indian and US intelligence reports, JeM carried out the 2001 Indian Parliament attack with facilitation from LeT.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - HuM maintains operational ties with JeM.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami - HuM maintains ties with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Afghan Taliban - HuM is ideologically allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
Pakistan - In June 2012 in an interview, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin accepted that Pakistan had been backing Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for fight in Kashmir.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Islami
Harkat is a Pakistan-based Islamic extremist militant group operating primarily in India and Pakistan controlled Kashmir. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In response, the group changed its name to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The renamed group remains banned as a terrorist group in India.
Harkat is believed to have another front group named Ansar-ul-Ummah, which is primarily active in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Harkat leaders:
Fazlur Rehman Khalil - Designation: Founder of Harkat and leader of Ansar-ul-Ummah, a group that is believed to be a front for Harkat. Around 2001, he stepped down as the chief and was made Secretary General of the group. In 2018, he joined Pakistani political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
Farooq Kashmiri - Designation: Second chief of Harkat following Khalil’s stepping down. Status: Alive and active.
Estimated number of fighters in Afghanistan: U.S. government report does not mention the number of Harkat militants currently present in Afghanistan but according to my sources, there are at least around 50-100 Harkat militants active in Afghanistan. Most of them are embedded with Afghan Taliban while some others fight or train with al-Qaeda fighters.
Flag commonly used:
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Allies:
Lashkar-e-Taiba - Harkat maintains ties with LeT.
Jaish-e-Mohammed - Harkat maintains ties with JeM.
Afghan Taliban - Harkat is ideologically allied with Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hizbul Mujahideen - Harkat maintains ties with Hizbul Mujahideen.
al-Qaeda - Harkat founder Fazlur Rehman Khalil is believed to have old ties with al-Qaeda. In May 2004, Pakistani authorities arrested Khalil for helping transport Pakistani militants into Afghanistan. After six months he was released due to lack of evidence. After Hamid and Umer Hayat reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in June 2005 that they had received training at an al-Qaeda camp run by Khalil, he went into hiding. He resurfaced some time later.
Pakistan - Harkat is believed to be supported by Pakistani state at the height of its popularity.
This article may be updated in future.
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