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Al-Badr (Jammu and Kashmir)

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For other uses, see Al-Badr (disambiguation).

Al-Badr
اَلْبَدْرْ
leadersArfeen Bhai
Jasniel Rihal
Bahkt Zameen Khan
CommanderHamzah Burhan (Chief Operational Commander in Kashmir valley)
Dates of operation1998-present
Group(s)United Liberation Front (Active in Kashmir)
HeadquartersMansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Active regionsKashmir
IdeologySeparatism
Islamism
Islamic fundamentalism
Jihadism
Part ofUnited Jihad Council and Operation Tupac
Allies Hizbul Mujahideen
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir
Al-Qaeda
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind
Islami Jamiat Taliba[1]
Opponents India
 United States
Battles and warsSoviet-Afghan war
Afghan Civil War (1989-1992)
Kashmir conflict
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir

Al-Badr (Arabic: اَلْبَدْرْ, romanized: al-badr, lit. 'the full moon') is an Islamist militant group operating in the Kashmir region.[2][3][4][5][6] The group was allegedly formed by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in June 1998.[2][3][4][5] It is believed the group was encouraged by the ISI to operate independently from their previous umbrella group, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM).[2][3][4][5] Prior to the group's separation from HM, they participated in the fighting in Afghanistan in 1990 as part of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hizb-l-Islami (HIG) alongside other anti-Soviet Afghan mujihadeen.[4][5][6] India and the United States have declared it a terrorist organisation and banned it.[7][6] Pakistan has long been a difficult and disruptive neighbor of Afghanistan, increasing Afghanistan's instability by providing intelligence, weapons and security to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. But now Pakistan is facing strong backlash both domestically and internationally against its policy of militant sponsorship.[8]

Foundation and separation

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The group was originally led by Arfeen Bhai, also known as Jannisar or Lukmaan, when it separated in 1998 and is currently led by Bahkt Zameen Khan.[2][3][4][6] In 2002, Zameen declared jihad against the U.S. forces in Afghanistan after being responsible for prior attacks against coalition forces there beginning in 2001.[6] Al-Badr went on further in 2002 to order all women police in the Rajouri District of Kashmir to quit their jobs by mid-January the next year.[9] The group has stated membership in the United Jihad Council (UJC), a coalition of Pakistan-based militants who are active in the Jammu Kashmir region.[2] They have been linked to Jamaat-e-Islami and alleged to have connection with al-Qaeda.[2][3][4] The groups stated purpose is to liberate the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir to be merged with Pakistan. Al-Badr opposes negotiations to end the violence in Kashmir and opposes the Line of Control (LoC) and calls for the strengthening of the jihad.[2]

Designation as terrorist organisation

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Al-Badr was banned by India under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004.[10] On 27 April 2005 State Department of United States Government identified Al-Badr as a terrorist organisation in its list of 40 Foreign Terrorist Organisations. Al-Badr is currently on the U.S. State Department list of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations.[11]

Location

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The Islamic fundamentalist group Al-Badr operates covert Al Badr training camps in Pakistan to train Pakistani civilians to serve as fighters in the conflict in Kashmir.[12][13][14] Group has training camps in the Mansehra area of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan, and in Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir.[2]

In the 1990s, militants trained at al-Badr camp in the use of RDX and C4 explosives.[15] Shaukat Ahmed Khan, the author of an article about the camps, in the Times of India, said he was kidnapped from his home in India by recruiters for the camp;[13] and that when he made clear he wasn't interested in fighting on behalf of Al Badr those running the camp cut out his tongue, and cut off his right hand. He said they spared his life because he was a fellow Muslim.

Armed activity

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The group's first armed activities date back to the year 2000, with the death of two foreign members of the group in an enconunter at the outskirts of Srinagar.[16] In later months more encounters between militants and security forces were registered, being the most relevant the one that occurred in Putushahi village, Kupwara district where three militants were killed.[16]

On 28 November 2002, Militants fired a rocket at a state-owned radio station, All India Radio, in Srinagar, made important material damages.[16][17] It wasn't until 24 February 2005 when armed assailants attacked the Kashmir's Administrative Headquarters in Srinagar, taking hostages about 250 employees, and after a two hours encounter, the attackers where shot dead while three policemen and two civilians were killed in the ensuing operation.[16][18]

On 27 October 2006, two members of al-Badr were apprehended in Mysore in what Indian police are calling a foiled terror attack.[16] Mohd Ali Hussain and Mohd Fahad were captured carrying a laptop, chemicals often used for creating improvised explosive devices (IEDs), detonators, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, a cell phone, a digital camera and passports as well as sketches of the state legislature building, 'Vidhan Sabha'.[10][19][20] In April 2008, members of Al Badr abducted two policeman in Surigam village, Kupwara district. Days later the officers were found dead at the next day.[16][21]

It is believed the group has been weakened in recent years due to increased presence of Indian security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) that separates India from Pakistan. Indian security forces gauge the strength of al-Badr to be between 200 with 120 of those forces being foreign mercenaries.[2][4] Al-Badr is currently one of only two Kashmiri separatist groups that employ suicide squads as a tactic, the other being Lashkar-e-Tayyeba.[2][3]

On 4 June 2018 Al-Badr took the responsibility for grenade attacks in Shopian and Tahab, Pulwama injuring 23 people, including eight security personnel.[22][23] On 17 August, other grenade attack were reported in Awantipora, killing a civilian and three more were wounded, being claimed the attack by Al Badr.[24][25]

On 31 January, militants threw a grenade at security personnel in Anantnag, wounding two CRPF personnel and five civilians.[26][27]

A year later, members of Al Badr abducted the off duty soldier Shakir Manzoor in Rambhama, Kulgam district, being found dead in August 2020. Al-Badr claimed responsibility for the incident and stated that Manzoor was killed.[28] The body of the soldier were found in advance descomposed state.[29][30][31] In 19 August, militants kidnaps Nisar Ahmad Bhat, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) panchayat member, in Khanmoh, Shopian.[32] Days later were found dead and the militants and Al Badr militants said that Nisar Bhat was wrapped in "anti-movement activities".[33][34] On 5 November 2020 Al Badr militants attacks a J&K Bank branch in Tak Mohalla, Shopian, stealing Rs 60 lakh from a cash va.[35][36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Pakistan Archived 19 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Mapping Militants. Stanford University.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "al-Badr". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Al-Badr / Al-Badr Mujahideen". Global Security. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Group Profile: AL-BADR". MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  5. ^ a b c d "Al-badhr Mujahidin (Al-Badr)". Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). Archived from the original on 16 November 2006.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Chapter 8: Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (PDF). U.S. State Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2024. Media related to File:State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations.pdf at Wikimedia Commons
  7. ^ "List of Banned Organisations". Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI. Government of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". cato.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "India – Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 2002". U.S. State Department. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Two militants of Pak. based Al Badr arrested in Mysore". Chennai, India: The Hindu News Update Service. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  11. ^ "State Department Identifies 40 Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  12. ^ Bindra, Satinder (19 September 2001). "India identifies terrorist training camps". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008.
  13. ^ a b Shaukat Ahmed Khan (6 October 2006). "They took my tongue out". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  14. ^ Ghulam Hasnain (29 January 2001). "Inside Jihad". Time magazine. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  15. ^ Bergen, Peter, "Holy War, Inc.", 2001
  16. ^ a b c d e f "Incidents involving Al Badr". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  17. ^ "GTD ID:200211280005". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  18. ^ "GTD ID:200502240001". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Report: Police arrest 2 suspected militants plotting attack in India's technology hub". International Herald Tribune. 27 October 2006.
  20. ^ "2 Pak terrorists nabbed in Mysore". IBNLive. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  21. ^ "GTD ID:200804030019". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Al-Badr claims responsibility for Pulwama attack: All you need to know about the banned outfit with ISI links". Firstpost. 5 June 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  23. ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (4 June 2018). "23 injured in grenade attacks in Kashmir". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Civilian Injured in Awantipora Grenade Attack Succumbs". The Kashmiryat. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Four civilians injured in grenade attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir". The New Indian Express. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  26. ^ "J-K: Five civilians, two CRPF jawans injured in grenade attack by militants". The Indian Express. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Al Badr claims attack on 'MLA's security' in Anantnag". Kashmir Despatch. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Nobody came to our help: Family of missing Indian Army soldier from Kashmir". India Today. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  29. ^ "GTD ID:202008020002". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  30. ^ "Body of soldier found one year after militants abducted him in Kashmir". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Body of Soldier Abducted From J&K's Shopian Found After Year, Says Family". NDTV. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  32. ^ "GTD ID:202008190008". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  33. ^ "Militants claim killing panchayat member in Kashmir who went missing last week". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Missing since 10-days, body of BJP-affiliated panch recovered from J-K's Shopian". The New Indian Express. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  35. ^ "GTD ID:202011050018". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  36. ^ "Gunmen loot over Rs 60 lakh from J&K bank cash van in Shopian". Daily Excelsior. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
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