Jaish-e-Mohammed joins hands with Al Qaeda

NEW DELHI: The pro-Pakistan militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is active in Jammu and Kashmir, and its two splinter groups have joined hands with international terror group Al Qaeda to fight Pakistani forces.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba joined Al Qaeda to increase terrorist activities targeting the Pakistan Army, government personalities and installations, a media report from Pakistan said.

Militants of these groups are being led by Abu Ali Tunisi, a terrorist from Tunisia. Tunisi, based in North Waziristan, is coordinating with the groups and individuals who believe in bringing about a revolution through terrorism, Pakistani daily The News reported.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed was formed by Masood Azhar following his release on December 31, 1999 with two other terrorists in exchange for the passengers of an Indian Airlines plane hijacked from Kathmandu to Afghanistan.

The JeM, banned in India for fomenting trouble, has been declared a foreign terrorist organisation by the US.

In 2003, the JeM splintered into Khuddam ul-Islam (KUI) and Jamaat ul-Furqan (JUF). Pakistan banned the KUA and JUF in November 2003.

The Jaish was an offshoot of the Harkat-ul-Ansar, which kidnapped five foreign tourists in Kashmir in 1995.

Lashkar-e-Jangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba are considered as off-shoots of the Jaish and are mainly involved in targeting Shias in Pakistan.