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IPCS No. 4, November 2005 SPECIAL REPORT

Jaish-e-Mohammed

Rohit Honawar

INSTITUTE OF PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES

B 7/3 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi110029, 1 Tel: 91-1151652556-9; Fax: 91-11-51652560 Email: [email protected]; Web: www.ipcs.org

JAISH-E-MOHAMMED Rohit Honawar, Research Officer, IPCS

BACKGROUND and other leaders, whom provided Jaish-e-Mohammed, also known as the extensive funding for Jaish-e-Mohammed. ‘Army of Mohammed’ is an Islamist It was also during this time that Azhar extremist group based in . The rallied for support across Pakistan, calling group is led by Maulana Masud Azhar for jihadi’s to join him in the fight to who was previously the leader of the liberate . The group has also Harakat ul-Ansar (HuA) terrorist received funding through donation requests organization, which later became the in pamphlets and magazines. Harkat-ul- in 1998, because of its known association with Osama bin Upon returning to Pakistan, Azhar faced Laden. Azhar was arrested by Indian resistance from Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman security forces shortly after the HuA was Khalili, his compatriot and co-founder of established in 1994, while on a ‘mission’ to HuM. Khalili was determined to keep HuM Kashmir, to wage against the Indian intact, and went so far as to resign and government. He was released from an offer his position to Azhar. However, Indian prison in exchange for a hundred Azhar refused and went ahead with the and fifty five hostages of a hijacked Indian formation of JeM, which later merged with Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999. HuM in 1999. Despite the merger, The group was established on February 4, animosity and differences existed over the 2000 at a congregation at Masjid Falal in control of HuM’s assets in Pakistan, leading . Azhar received widespread to the eventual assassination of Maulana support from members of his former group, Ludhyanavi, one of JeM’s top supporters. believed to be somewhere in the region of Azhar was un-perturbed by the killing, and three quarters of the cadre joining him, had the added advantage of receiving while the JeM was also acknowledged and support from Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, a endorsed by three religious school chiefs, young Srinagar youth, who headed the Al- Maulana Mufti Rashid Ahmed of the Dar-ul Umar Mujahideen, and dedicated his life Ifta-e-wal-Irshad, Maulana Sher Ali of the and his cadre’s to JeM’s movement. Sheikh-ul-Hadith Dar-ul Haqqania and Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai of the Majis-e- By 2003, JeM had split into the Khuddam Tawan-e-Islami. The group is also ul- (KuI), led by Azhar and Jamaat ul- politically aligned with the radical Jamiat-I Furqan (JUF), led by Abdul Jabbar. Ulema-I Islam Fazlur Rehman faction. Despite the splintering of JeM, the group continues to assume and be associated with its original identity.

OBJECTIVES - IDEOLOGY Jaish-e-Mohammed’s primary objective is to ‘liberate’ Kashmir from Indian control and integrate the state within Pakistan. The group aims to achieve this by Maulana Masud engaging the Indian security forces in a Azhar proxy or holy war, hoping that there will be an eventual withdrawal from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after his release, Maulana Masud Azhar is believed to have traveled to JeM openly acknowledges the existence of to meet with its schools across Pakistan which train and

1 IPCS SPECIAL REPORT No 4, November 2005 prepare young men about the importance movement, the group is politically aligned of engaging in jihad against Indian rule. with the radical party Jamiat-i-Ulema- Maulana Masud Azhar has also stated his Islam, led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. This distrust and disliking for India’s former association provides for an interface Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, between JeM and the mainstream Pakistan calling for his assassination. Apart from society, allowing it to garner support and ‘liberating’ Kashmir, Azhar has also stated funding. The organization is also his desire to take control over the Babri supported by Pakistan’s top Islamic Masjid in Ayodhya, and Amritsar. scholars and is believed to have close affiliations to the Binori Town Mosque. It is While there are several groups operating also believed that Jaish is linked with the in Jammu & Kashmir, there is no official Jamia Manzoorul Islamia school in the linkage between them, leading to radical eastern city of , which is thought to groups such as Jaish to be critical of the have taught one of the men responsible for more moderate organizations in the Valley, the suicide bombings in July 2005. such as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) as well as and STRENGTH Village self defence forces. Maulana Masud Azhar, a self proclaimed, gifted orator, is believed to have recruited JeM’s ideological beliefs extend beyond several Jihadi’s to fight in Kashmir, in J&K, with the group calling for the rallies that were held across Pakistan and ‘destruction’ of India, Israel and the United advertised on the country’s state owned States of America by waging jihad against television station. The group is believed to the respective nations, which it regards as have several hundred supporters located having violated the rights of Muslim mainly in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir people. (POK), Pakistan and India’s southern Kashmir and Doda regions. A large FACTIONS number of men are also recruited from Following the government ban on Jaish-e- Pakistan’s so called ‘Jihad factory’ of Mohammed in January 2002, the Punjab province, with an especially large organization has re-invented itself into the percentage from Multan, Bahawalpur and Khudam-ul-Islam, allowing it to legitimately Rahim Yar Khan Districts. The easy exist in Pakistan. However, mounting availability and large number of cadre pressure from Indian security forces and recruited from Punjab province can be authority agencies to clamp down and attributed to the high unemployment levels enforce the ban has meant, that on the and the lack of education prevalent in the surface, the has surrounding districts. JeM’s ability to had to follow through with its promise, transcend the entire population of the forcing JeM to shut down its operations. district, and play on its fears with the This has led to splinter groups attached to promise of money and a better life, has JeM cropping up, allowing the terrorist provided it with a mass of semi-literate, organization to operate under different unemployed youth, who are easily aliases. Smaller groups believed to be indoctrinated and lured into fighting in attached to JeM include the Convoy of Kashmir and other parts of India. The Mercy, Al Hadid, Muslim Brotherhood, Al group also received a boost to its Faran Al Jihad, Mujahideen E-Tanzeem, insurgency efforts, when the ultra-right Mohammed’s Army, National movement for Sipah-e-Sahiban of Pakistan pledged at the restoration of Pakistani sovereignty, least one lakh cadre to Masud Azhar in Army of the Prophet and Tehrik-ul- 2002. Furqaan. Despite the large numbers of supporters, While JeM and its splinter groups the group suffered a major setback in represent the militant faction of the 2003, when Pakistan law enforcement

2 JAISH-E-MOHAMMED Profile agencies, arrested hundreds of the JeM cadre and sealed several of the Khudam offices across the country.

While JeM does not constitute as large a group as some of the other major terrorist outfits operating in the Valley, it does enjoy the benefit of being associated with the Binori town Mosque, and the more than 8,000 students whom learn at the location. The groups command structure is mainly comprised of individuals who belong to countries other than Pakistan, while the cadre is largely from POK or other parts of the country. Jaish-e-Mohammed cadre training TRAINING CAMPS – AREAS OF INFLUENCE While the leaders of JeM are mainly foreigners, the group’s supporters comprise The group also operates several cells in of mostly and Kashmiris, making Jammu & Kashmir and in the larger cities for a formidable adversary, as their across India, meaning that its scope of knowledge of the region and beyond is activities is not only restricted to the conflict extensive. There are also a large number region of the state. JeM is also believed to of Afghans and Arabs, veterans from the operate foreign cells across Central Asia conflict in Afghanistan, adding an element and certain parts of South East Asia, of determined and hardened fighters, providing it with an opportunity to build dedicated to a cause which they regard as linkages with other groups and to rally for defending and upholding the values of support and funding. Islam. Until 2001, the JeM had training facilities in Afghanistan, although they have Over the years, the JeM has been held now been re-located to Balakot, in the accountable for numerous attacks both in North West Frontier province, Jammu & Kashmir and other parts of India. and in parts of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir The JeM has laid claim to being the (POK), namely . pioneer of suicide or fidayeen attacks in has denied the existence of these camps J&K when it rammed an explosives laden and has not taken any steps at dismantling vehicle into the gates of the Badami Bagh the infrastructure of the group, such as its Cantonment area of Srinagar in April communication links, launching pads and 2000. The attack was the first of its kind in other facilities. the 13 year history of militancy in the valley, and developed a modus operandi, Members of the group are trained in the of sorts, that has continued till date. Apart use of highly sophisticated weapons, from daring fidayeen attacks in the Valley, including light and heavy machineguns, JeM has also made numerous attempts at assault rifles, mortars, rocket grenades and infiltration across the LoC and has improvised explosive devices. The frequently engaged against security forces combination of foreign and local militants in gun battles and bombings. The groups poses a challenge to security forces as association with suicide bombings extended several of the leaders operate from beyond the border, to a failed beyond India’s borders. Added to this is assassination attempt on Pakistani the fact that several of the militants are President, in 2002, for battle hardened, well trained and closely his stance on purging Pakistan of . resemble a small, but disciplined army.

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Map showing areas of JeM training camps and points of infiltration

ACTIVITIES More recently, Jaish operatives are The relative infancy of JeM has meant that believed to have been responsible for the the group has not been directly associated bold and daring attack on India’s with acts of terrorism prior to 1999. This parliament in New Delhi which left 10 however, does not mean that the group is people dead, and brought India and not a major perpetrator of terrorist Pakistan dangerously close to war. violence, having carried out several attacks in J&K, India and overseas. JeM has by no means confined its operations to J&K and India, and is The affiliation of the group to HuM and suspected by Pakistani authorities of being HuA has meant that it has been in-directly affiliated to the perpetrators of the linked to the 1994 kidnappings of US and deadly anti-Christian attacks in Islamabad, British nationals by Omar Sheikh in New Murree and Taxila in 2002. British Delhi and the 1995 kidnappings of authorities also suspect JeM’s involvement foreigners in Kashmir. in training at least one of the terrorists who carried out the attacks on London’s transport system in July 2005.

MAJOR TERRORIST ATTACKS BY JEM POST SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 Date Incident Location

Attack on State Legislative Assembly 1 October 2001 Srinagar, India Complex

13 December 2001 Attack on India’s Parliament New Delhi, India

Islamabad, Muree and August 2002 Anti-Christian attacks across Pakistan Taxila, Pakistan

13 March 2003 Bomb explosion on train Mumbai, India

Assassination attempt on President 25 December 2003 , Pakistan Pervez Musharraf

5 July 2005 Attack on Ayodhya Complex Ayodhya, India

Links to series of bomb explosions on 7 July 2005 London, London transport system

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In comparison to other major terrorist and the Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI). groups in the Valley, such as Lashkar-e- The group is also a member of the United Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, JeM has Jihad Council (UJC), an amalgam of 14 been involved in relatively fewer acts of militant outfits based in POK. There is also violence. However, more significant than speculation that the group shares good the number of attacks, it has been the relations with Osama Bin Laden and his Al- resulting impact which has been more Qaeda network, receiving substantial devastating. funding from Afghan Arabs and the Taliban. The attack on India’s parliament was not only an act of violence against the heart of The link with between JeM and the Taliban the nations’ political and democratic exists due to the strong creed establishment, but at a time of nuclear which forms the primary ideological and weapons, brought the sub-continent to the religious base for both groups. It also brink of a full fledged war. Pakistan’s believed that members of both groups are alleged involvement in fueling the attack part of a larger network which trained in disrupted the peace process and undid all Madrassahs (Muslim seminaries) at the confidence building measures between the same time. Soon after Masud’s release two countries – an outcome which analysts from Indian custody, the HuM leader believe to have been intended, rather than traveled to Kandhar to receive blessings the widespread casualties. Equally from the Taliban in support of his launching important, is the meticulous planning and of JeM. implementation required to carry out such an attack, hinting towards an extensive There are also indications that JeM is financial and weapons support network for gaining significant support amongst militant JeM. Kashmiri separatists in the UK, with a growing number of supporters around the Similarly, rather than causing widespread country. The JeM has also received support fatalities, the attack on the Ayodhya from a large number of Madrassahs in complex, is believed to have been Pakistan as well as from sympathetic intended at ‘destabilizing’ India’s political civilians in the mainstream society. and societal establishment. JeM’s interests not only lie with inflicting a blow on Indian The Indian government has claimed that the society, but at achieving its objectives group is backed and funded by Pakistan’s through the more carefully planned erosion Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, of India, from within. To achieve this, the which has aided the JeM in recruiting and group’s agenda involves attempting to de- training militants as well as allegedly stabilize the Indian economy by flooding it paying them large sums of money to carry with counterfeit currency, and by increasing out operations in Kashmir. These the inflow of narcotics. allegations have been denied by the Pakistan government, which has repeatedly EXTERNAL LINKAGES distanced itself from any involvement. The While the acts of terrorism committed by assassination attempt on Pakistani JeM are largely confined to J&K, the President Pervez Musharraf in 2003, is group is believed to have an expansive thought to have been the final straw in the international network, both financially and governments decision to pull the plug on all in terms of availability of cadre. JeM is forms of support for JeM. However, it is suspected to have drawn a large amount believed that the ISI continues to provide of material resources and cadre strength un-equivocal moral, logistical and financial from militant groups such as Harkat-ul- backing to the group, whether legitimized Ansar, which later became HuM in 1998, or not, is questionable.

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THE MEDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL activities. An attack by the group is COMMUNITY regarded as a publicity statement, with a Jaish-e-Mohammed’s attack on India’s failed attempt going just as far as a parliament, not only received widespread successful bombing. Unknowingly the international and domestic condemnation, media often appears as an invisible ally, but the resulting implication by the Indian providing groups such as Jaish extensive government forced Pakistani President coverage, leading to dissent, paranoia and Pervez Musharraf to pledge that Pakistan disruption of civil society, as well as would not allow its territory to be used for denting the morale of security forces and terrorism, resulting in an official ban and the government. freezing of assets in January 2002. Following suit, the announced JAISH-E-MOHAMMED IN 2005 an official ban on JeM shortly afterwards, Following the September 11, 2001 terror freezing all assets under its name and re- attacks on the United States and the designating the group as a Foreign ensuing ‘’, JeM has had to re- Terrorist Organization, in accordance to structure their modus operandi. The group the Immigration and Nationality Act. has withdrawn all its funds from bank Despite the ban, the impact of this move accounts and invested in businesses such as has been questioned, since JeM has real estate, commodity trading and the already assumed a new face and a new manufacturing of consumer goods. name, subsequently rendering the United Furthermore, accounts have also been States move as obsolete. opened under the various alias names and other organizations which the group is Keeping in mind the listing of terrorist associated with. A spokesman for JeM organizations by the United Nations openly admitted that they had “… Security Council, the Australian government withdrawn our money from the bank has outlawed JeM under its counter- accounts and reopened them in the name terrorism laws, making it illegal for of our low-profile supporters”. The ease at Australians to train, recruit, receive funds or which money is transferred and utilized, make funds available to the group. demonstrates the gaping loopholes which exist in Pakistan’s counter-terrorism laws. It Despite international recognition of Jaish- is also well acknowledged, that although e-Mohammed as a terrorist organization, the Pakistani political and military the Indian government has been advised to establishment decided to tow the line with maintain restraint in its intended approach the United States in the Global War on at dealing with the group, in the past. It Terror, Jaish militant commanders fighting was not until the July 7, 2005 suicide in Kashmir have been spared, and continue bombings in London, that the world to roam freely and associate with their realized the extent to which JeM had cadre. penetrated societies across the globe. One of the four suicide bombers who detonated Till date, JeM continues to enjoy close a rucksack is said to have contacted relations with Osama Bin Laden and the Al- members of Jaish-e-Mohammed while on a Qaeda network, which, as a senior religious studies course in Pakistan. It is Pakistani security official said, makes it also believed that a former Jaish “…impossible to tell which of the militants operative, by the name of Ahmed Omar earlier engaged in Kashmir are now Sheikh, not only fought in Kashmir, but wedded to the Al-Qaeda ideology”. This operated training camps which the has however, prompted the Pakistani bombers visited in Mansehra district in the administration to engage in a dangerous North West Frontier Province. game, allowing Jaish militants to continue fighting in Kashmir, with the hope that they As with other terrorist organizations, JeM will eventually lead security forces to Al- relies heavily on the media to promote its Qaeda operatives and Osama Bin Laden.

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The earthquake which struck Kashmir and believed that the group had support Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) on structures, such as its training camps, October 8, 2005, temporarily crippled the communications facilities and launching operations of JeM. The group is believed pads destroyed by the earthquake. to have lost a substantial number of militants, although it is thought that most of While the recent turn of events have them were of the lower cadre, thus not temporarily dented the operations of affecting their operations to a great Jaish-e-Mohammed, the group is still active extent. The survival of the commanders has and remains focused on waging jihad meant that JeM will continue to have its against the Indian political and military ‘brains trust’ capable of leading the establishment in order to liberate Kashmir militants against security forces. Apart from India. from the death of militants, it is also

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