Name of Organization

Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI) (Movement of Islamic Holy War)

Formation

1980- HUJI was formed by the Jamaat-ul-Ulema-e-Islami and Tabligh-i-Jamaat in 1980 to fight Jihad against Soviet forces in Afghanistan.[1]

1989- It originated by the name Jamiat Ansarul Afghaneen that merged with a militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen to form Harkat-ul-Ansar in 1989.[2]

1997- After Harkat-ul-Ansar was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by USA it was renamed as Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami in 1997 while, in the areas of Bangladesh it is operated with the name of HUJI Bangladesh (HUJI-B). [3]

Leadership

Founder and Leader: Qari Saifullah Akhtar[4]

1958- Qari Saifullah Akhtar is born in 1958 in South Waziristan.[5] He is a graduate of Banuri Masid in Karachi.[6]

Qari Saifullah Akhtar is a militant leader and has established close association with Osama bin Laden and Taliban headed by Mullah Omar.[7]

1995- He was involved in a plot to overthrow the Pakistani government and was arrested in an attempt to assassinate senior military leaders.[8]

1999- He was released from detention as the charges against him were dismissed.[9]

2004- Akhtar was arrested in U.A.E and deported to Pakistan for his attempts of assassinating Pervaiz Musharraf in December 2003 and was released in 2007.[10]

2007- He has been involved in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.[11]

2008- He was brought before the court and alleged for his involvement in the suicide attack on Bhutto on March 20, 2008  and was released on June 8, 2008 due to lack of evidence.[12] It have been implied that Qari Saifullah Akhtar along with the leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Qari Muhammad Zafar, are the mastermind behind September 20 bombing at Marriot Hotel in Islamabad.[13]

Chief Commander: Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri.

Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri was reported to be killed by a U.S drone attack in June 2011[14] while later other sources confirm that he is still alive and active on the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan[15]

Operations Chief: Shahid Bilal[16]

Leader of Hyderabad Cell: Tariq Qasmi[17]

School of thought/ Classification

Deoband Sunni

Ideology

HUJI now fights for the liberation of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) form India.[18] It achieves its goals through an extremist agenda of jihad.[19] HUJI-B operating in Bangladesh are targeting progressive intellectuals and issued a slogan “Amra Sobai Hobo Taliban, Bangla Hobe Afghanistan (We will all become Taliban and we will turn Bangladesh into Afghanistan)”.[20]

Framework

HUJI has a strong network in the western state of India, Uthar Pradesh and a wide network of seminaries in Pakistan.[21] There are 30 seminaries established in the area of Korangi and 18 in other areas of Karachi.[22] The seminaries of HUJI are also present in Chechnya (Xinxiang), Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.[23]

In Pakistan the branch offices of HUJI are located in 40 districts and tehsils of Islamabad, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan , Khanpur, Gujranwala, Mianwali, Gujrat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Swabi and Peshawar.[24]

Financial resources

This organization receives direct support from Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. According to some allegations this organization is also receiving funding from international Islamic NGOs and some madrassas operating in Pakistan.[25] Information about the alleged NGOs and madrassas is not available.

HUJI leaders have accounts in two branches of Allied Bank in Islamabad and also generate funds from their more than 40 branch offices in Pakistan.[26]

Recruitment tools & demographics

HUJI depends on their recruiting resources to support their operations. They allegedly recruit children, to be used as messengers.[27] In November 2009, five Americans were arrested in Sargodha; they were recruited by Qari Saifullah Akhtar through internet to Al Qaeda in North Waziristan.[28]

The training camps of HUJI are located in Kandahar, Kabul and Khost.[29]

Connections & linkages

Chief of HUJI, Ilyas Kashmiri is also main operational commander of Al-Qaeda.[30] It is closely linked to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.[31] HUJI has provided fighters to Taliban in Afghanistan. The members of this group are trained at the training camps of Al-Qaeda.[32]

HUJI has been merged with its splinter group Harkat ul-Mujahideen forming Harkat ul-Ansar. Harkat ul-Ansar is now operating with the name of Harkat il-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Mujahideen-E-Tanzeem.[33]

Areas of Operation

The group operates primarily in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.[34]It also operates in other nations; Afghanistan, Arakan-Burma, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.[35]

Tools 

Print Media:
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Youtube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW1Q4jgH8e4

 

Facebook: 
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Twitter: 
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Name Variations

Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami was formerly known as:

1.      Jamiat Ansarul Afghaneen

2.      Harkat-ul-Mujahideen

3.      Harkat-ul-Ansar

Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami is also referred to by the following names:

1.      Harkat ul Jihad e Islami Bangladesh (HUJI-B)

2.      Harkat ul Jihad al Islam

3.      Harkat ul Jihad

4.      Islami Dawat-e-Kafela (IDEK)[36]