Alternative Names:
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islamiyah, HuJI, Islamic Jihad Movement, Movement of the Islamic Holy War
Location:
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India
Leadership:
HuJI was formed in 1980 by Fazalur Rehman Khalil and Qari Saifullah Akhtar. In 1985 Khalil splintered from HuJI to form Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM). In 1993, HuJI and HuM merged to form Harkat al-Ansar. In 1997, Harkat al-Ansar reorganized as HuM in response to the kill or capture of several high ranking Harkat al-Ansar leaders.
HuJI formed a separate unit based in Bangladesh in 1992, known as the HuJI Bangladesh.
HuJI was evicted from Afghanistan in the wake of the US military invasion in 2001 and forced into Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Membership:
HuJI is thought to consist of between 500 and 750 fighters.
Funding Sources:
HuJI maintains ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Khalil was a signatory to Osama bin Laden’s 1998 fatwa called the International Front Against Jews and Crusaders.
The group is also thought to receive funding, material support, and logistical advice from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Origins:
HuJI was formed in 1980 to combat the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. After the Soviet war in Afghanistan ended, HuJI redirected its efforts towards fighting for the cause of fellow Muslims in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Major Attacks:
February 2007: HuJI was implicated in the bomb blasts in the Samjhauta Express that left 68 people dead.
May 2007: Twin blasts at the Lumbini open air auditorium in Hyderabad were believed to have been orchestrated by HuJI elements.
November 2007: HuJI carried out serial bomb blasts, killing 15.
May 2008: HuJI was linked to serial bomb blasts in Jaipur.
Ideological Roots:
HuJI traces its ideological roots to Deobandi school of thought within Sunni Islam.
Objectives:
HuJI seeks to establish Islamic rule in the territories it controls by waging war.
Tactics:
Low-intensity bomb attacks and firearm attacks.
Updated on January 13, 2016.
