MHA declares TRF as terror outfit, LeT’s Jammu Incharge as individual terrorist

Front was responsible for issuing hit lists of KP employees
*Two separate orders issued under UAPA

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Jan 5: In a major decision aimed at launching further crackdown on the Terror Resistance Front (TRF), which has been responsible for issuing “hit lists of Kashmiri migrant employees” and various other terror activities across Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today declared it as a “terrorist organization”.
The MHA has also declared Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), who hailed from Jammu and Kashmir and is coordinating the outfit’s activities in Jammu region, as an “individual terrorist”.
The Home Ministry issued two separate orders to this effect today.
The decision came just a day after the Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah declared Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri, a resident of Kashmir and operating in Afghanistan, as an “individual terrorist”.
An official order declaring the TRF as a “terrorist organization” attributed a series of terror activities to the outfit.
The TRF, as per police and Intelligence agencies in the Union Territory, is an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit which was created by Pakistan following ban on the LeT.
The TRF has been banned under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The MHA order said the TRF has been recruiting youth into militancy through online medium for furtherance of terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The outfit has also been involved in carrying out propaganda on terror activities,” the order read.
It said the TRF is also involved in recruitment and infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir for fanning terrorism.
“The TRF is involved in psychological operations on Social Media platforms for inciting people of Jammu and Kashmir to join terrorist outfits against the Indian State,” the MHA order read.
It pointed out that Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the TRF commander, has been designated as a terrorist under Fourth Schedule of the UAPA.
Asserting that activities of the TRF are detrimental for national security and sovereignty of India, the order said that a large number of cases have been registered against the members and associates of the TRF.
“The Central Government believes that the outfit is involved in terrorism and it has committed and participated in various acts of terror across the country,” the order read.
The TRF came into existence in 2019 as a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Toiba, a proscribed organisation listed at Serial Number 5 of the First Schedule under the UAPA.
The TRF had few days back issued hit lists of Kashmiri migrant employees posted in the Valley which had also gone viral on Social Media.
It has been instrumental in issuing threats to various other people with a view to create fear psychosis in the Valley.
Considering all its subversive activities, the Home Ministry declared the group a banned organisation.
The Government also designated Mohammed Amin alias Abu Khubaib, who belongs to Jammu and Kashmir but currently lives in Pakistan, as an individual terrorist.
He is acting as the launching commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba and has developed a deep association with cross-border agencies and is playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities of LeT in the Jammu region.
Khubaib has been involved in coordinating terrorist attacks, supply of arms or weapons and explosives, and terror financing in Jammu and Kashmir from across the border.
For all his terror activities, the Government designated Khubaib as an individual terrorist under the UAPA, another notification said.
Administration can seize and attach properties, bank accounts and other assets, movable as well as immovable, of the cadre of banned outfit. Besides, the administration can explore various options to crush activities of the banned outfits and individuals.
With this, the Union Home Ministry has declared two individuals and an outfit as terrorist during last two days.
The decisions came close on the heels of twin terror attacks at Upper Dhangri in Rajouri district in which six civilians of minority community, two of them minors, were killed by two militants while over dozen others were left injured.