126
The U.S. Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan research arm that provides policy analysis and briefings to the U.S. Congress, on 25 March released a detailed assessment identifying Pakistan-based terrorist groups oriented towards India, including Jammu and Kashmir, outlining their strength, presence and objectives. The report categorises these organisations within an “India- and Kashmir-oriented” cluster, distinct from globally aligned, Afghanistan-focused and domestic groups, and notes that many remain designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under U.S. law.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, formed in the late 1980s and led by Hafiz Saeed, is described as one of the most capable outfits, with “several thousand fighters.” Based in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, it has operated under alternate identities such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa to circumvent sanctions. The group is held responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks and multiple other high-profile strikes in India.
Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded in 2000 by Masood Azhar, is assessed in the report to have roughly 500 armed supporters operating across India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is linked to the 2001 attack on Indian Parliament and seeks the annexation of Indian Kashmir into Pakistan, while also having declared hostility towards the United States. Security assessments in India, however, indicate that the group’s actual cadre strength is much higher than the figure cited in the report.
Harakat-ul Jihad Islami, formed in 1980, is described as having an “unknown strength.” After the Afghan war, it redirected focus towards India while continuing linkages with Taliban networks. It operates across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, with objectives aligned to Kashmir.
Harakat ul-Mujahidin, with no specified cadre strength, operates from Pakistan occupied Kashmir and several Pakistani cities. The report recalls its role in the 1999 hijacking of an Indian airliner, which led to the release of Masood Azhar, with many of its members subsequently joining Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Hizbul Mujahideen, formed in 1989 and described as one of the oldest organisations active in Jammu and Kashmir, is estimated to have up to 1,500 fighters. Its cadre is largely composed of ethnic Kashmiris seeking either independence or accession to Pakistan.
The report situates these groups within the broader terrorist landscape in Pakistan, stating that despite sustained counter-terror operations, including major military offensives and hundreds of thousands of intelligence-based actions, numerous U.S.- and UNdesignated terrorist organisations continue to operate on Pakistani soil.
The significance of the report lies in the fact that it publicly documents, through an official U.S. congressional research body, the continued presence and scale of multiple terrorist groups operating from Pakistan, despite Islamabad’s consistent denials. By placing detailed estimates of their strength, spread and objectives in the public domain, the assessment underscores the extent to which such networks remain embedded within Pakistan’s security landscape.
The report comes even as close ties between Pakistan’s de facto ruler, General Asim Munir, and U.S. President Donald Trump have raised questions within sections of the Trump administration.
Comments are closed.