Mapping Militant Organizations
Formed | 1989 |
---|---|
Disbanded | Group is active. |
First Attack | January 16, 1990: HM militants attacked Jammu and Kashmir Police Constable and hanged him from a tree in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. (1 killed, 0 wounded) [1]. |
Last Attack | November 10, 2010: HM along with Jameeat-ul-Mujahideen militants attacked and killed two Indian Central Reserve Police Force in Pattan, Kashmir, India. (2 killed, 0 wounded) [2]. |
Updated | August 8, 2012 |
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen(HM) was formed in Pakistan controlled Kashmir in 1989. Pakistan's famous religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami reportedely formed HM under the influence of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI to counter the Jammu
and Kashmir Liberation Fron(JKLF), an organization
which had advocated complete independence of the State.
HM's organization was formalized in June 1990, when its 'Constitution'
was approved and Syed Salahuddin was made the patron of the organization. But soon after, there were differences between the Jamaat-e-Islami and non Jamaat-e-Islami elements of HM which led to a split; one of the factions was led Syed Salahuddin, while the other one was led by Hilal Ahmed Mir, who was killed in 1993.
HM’s primary goal is to unite both Azad Kashmir (Pakistan controlled) and Jammu and Kashmir (Indian controlled) into one entity that would then join with the Pakistani state[5]. Many claim that HM was started by the ISI for the sole purpose to act as a counter to the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, a militant organization that also fights against the Indian government, but strives to create an independent Kashmiri state[6].
According to the South Asian Terrorism Portal (SATP), HM cadres are in the range of 1500 in total.
HM’s relationship with Jamaat-i-Islami is unclear, with some sources claiming HM to be the armed wing of the group, while others maintain that they are only closely linked.[9] Whatever the case may be, the two groups are connected and it appears that they do act independently on occasion, which is of great embarrassment to JI.[10] Adding to the difficulty of discerning the full extent of the relationship is the fact that both groups are intent on denying that any such relationship exists, though for observers some sort of link is obvious.
It has also been reported that HM trained alongside the Afghan Hizb-i-Islami, run by Gulbaddin Hekmatyar throughout the mid-1990’s until the Taliban gained power.[11]
HM is further part of an umbrella organization known as the United Jehad Council (UJC), which is headed by HM chief Syed Salahuddin.
· Al-Badr split from HuM in 1998 after helping to form HuM in 1989.[12]
· As of ’05 HM was part of the United Jihad Council, a collection of groups fighting in Kashmir.[13]
· Some claim that HM has been infiltrated by AQ.
· HM has reportedly carried out attacks in coordination with LeT.