By Sumir Kaul, London
The links of Pakistan-based militant outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), which has been indulging in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, have been traced to various other countries, including Philippines and Myanmar, by a leading international strategic think-tank.
A report 'The Military Balance 2005-06' published by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies said that the cadre of HuM, which was also known as Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA), was mainly operating in the Kashmir valley.
However, the outfit has presence in Russia, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajakistan, it said.
The militant outfit, which has been listed in the "Selected Non-State Armed Groups", is also operating in Myanmar and Philippines besides engaging in suicide attacks, it said.
HuA, which had floated a shadow group Al-Faran to kidnap six western tourists from Pahalgham of South Kashmir in 1995, had changed its name to HuM after the incident.
The fate of the four -- Paul Wells and Keith Mangan (both British), Donald Fred Hutchings (American) and Derk Hassert (German) -- was not known so far while John Childs (American) managed to escape. The militants had severed the head of Hans Ostro Christo (Norwegian), within days of the kidnapping.
The outfit is one of the oldest militant groups and was formed in 1985, the report said.
The think-tank has listed 11 militant outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) had the maximum cadre strength of 1500. It has also labelled HM as pro-Pakistan group and an armed wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, an allegation denied by the organisation.
Among other outfits operating in the state, the think tank listed Tehrik-e-Jihad, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Jamiat-ul- Mujahideen, Al-Badr Mujahideen, Lashker-e-Toiba, Save Kashmir Movement and Lashker-e-Jabbar.
Another outfit, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Almi has also been shown operating in Kashmir. The outfit was responsible for assassination bid on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the strength of the group was not known, the report said.
Out of these organisations Lashker, JeM and HuM have been banned by the US State Department.
