A new syndicate with focused operations distributed among several outlawed organisations, brokered by the Pakistan Army, is likely to be behind the recent successful terror attacks targeting security forces in the Jammu region, according to intelligence inputs exclusively reviewed by India Today.
Earlier this winter, a gathering of several notorious terrorist groups was held in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Those who attended it included Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Al Badr commander Bakht Zamin, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and many others. According to intelligence reports, the new terror alliance has divided and allocated tasks such as recruitment, training, arms and ammunition, funding, logistics and propaganda among various terrorist units.
Here’s information about Pakistan’s new terror cabinet, which is responsible for the recent bloodshed in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir.
Bakht Zamin Khan: A seasoned terrorist with experience in Afghanistan, who reportedly participated in the Kargil war on Pakistan’s side with his group of mercenaries, is now responsible for coordinating this new terror campaign. He has also established a successful business network of educational institutions including schools and colleges. He manages terror funds through his business network and has been seen visiting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). His links with radical elements in Pakistan and Afghanistan put him in a perfect position to effectively coordinate with the Pakistani army and other terror commanders like Masood Azhar and Syed Salahuddin.
Masood Azhar: After an absence of nearly five years from public life, Azhar has resurfaced, making public appearances that draw a green signal from the Pakistan establishment. Under Azhar’s leadership, the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) controls numerous mosques and training centers across Pakistan, where new recruits are trained in weapons. Over the past several decades, the JeM has developed an extensive network of resources that assist these recruits in infiltrating difficult terrains during the winter. Azhar has been designated a global terrorist by several countries as well as the United Nations.
Syed Salahuddin: The Hizbul Mujahideen founder has been the face of militancy in Kashmir for decades, though his ability to carry out large-scale attacks has diminished in the last few years. Under the new dispensation, his role has shifted to recruiting teenagers under the banner of the ‘Kashmir freedom struggle’, which is often glamorised in Pakistan’s popular culture. Salahuddin lives under heavy security near Rawalpindi and often travels to the interior of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) to recruit youngsters who are later trained to take part in armed operations in India. Along with Azhar and Khan, he forms the leadership group of the terror syndicate.
Saifullah Sajid Jatt: Born as Habibullah Malik and also known as Langda, this 42-year-old terrorist hails from Kasur in Pakistan. He has long been associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Protected by the power establishment, Jatt runs a drug-smuggling network in Pakistan and is involved in money laundering activities. He has played a key role in smuggling weapons through drones and uses this illegal network to recruit criminals for terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He is suspected of involvement in previous attacks on security personnel in Bhata Dhuriyan in Poonch and a suicide attack in Hyderpora.
Sheikh Jamiul-Rahman: Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman, who handles local coordination in an area where several terror groups operate, hails from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, but is living in Pakistan as a Pakistani citizen. His Pakistani Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number 61101-9814381-9 was reported by Indian agencies. Rehman runs his own outfit called Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) but mostly works as a facilitator for LeT, JeM and other terror operatives on the ground. He has been playing a key role in smuggling explosives and facilitating the movement of terrorists from Pakistan-controlled areas into India. Earlier, social media posts and sections of the media had falsely reported his death, but Rehman is very active with the syndicate.
Farhatullah Ghori: Named in terror cases from Gujarat to Andhra Pradesh, Ghori, 58, from Hyderabad, India, has also become the head of the online terror propaganda campaign of a terror syndicate operating from Pakistan. Ghori is one of the few Pakistani terrorists who control sleeper cells beyond Jammu and Kashmir, and his involvement in terror modules in south India is suspected. His voice is regularly heard in online propaganda broadcast from Pakistan.
Sajjad Gul: Sajjad Gul, a 50-year-old man from Srinagar who now runs a real estate business in Pakistan, is believed to be the mastermind behind the killing of senior Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari. Taking advantage of his local connections and real estate business, he has been actively involved in smuggling weapons for terror operations in the region.
Farooq Qureshi: As the leader of the terror outfit Al Barq, Farooq Qureshi is considered a valuable operative in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) due to his extensive local connections. He is responsible for arranging local resources and logistics required for the operation.
Martyr Faisal: Farhatullah Ghori’s son-in-law, who originally hails from Bengaluru, has been active in the syndicate for some time now. Faisal is a tech-savvy engineering graduate and is believed to be the mastermind of Ghori’s online recruitment network in India. He also acts as a handler of the operatives disguised as ‘Colonel’ in intercepted communications.
Hamza Burhan: Hamza Burhan, associated with Al Badr, is considered a master conspirator with a deep understanding of modern weapons and explosives. He is believed to be one of the new key operators of the syndicate.