Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM)

Overview

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (Party of the Holy Warriors) is an armed organisation founded in September 1989 in Jammu and Kashmir. It was established with the support of the Pakistani political-religious party Jamaat-e-Islami and initially presented itself as a movement for Kashmiri self-determination. Over time, under the leadership of Syed Salahuddin, it evolved towards a more explicitly jihadist posture, framing the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir as a religious duty and calling for the integration of the territory with Pakistan on Islamic grounds rather than purely nationalist ones.

The organisation has historically been considered the largest Kashmir-focused militant group in terms of local recruitment, drawing members primarily from within the Kashmir Valley rather than relying predominantly on foreign fighters. This distinguishes it from organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which draw more heavily on recruits from outside the region. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has maintained its operational headquarters in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

Operational History

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was most operationally active during the 1990s and early 2000s, a period of sustained insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The group carried out attacks on Indian security forces, targeted killings of political figures, and operations against Kashmiri Pandits and other minorities it accused of collaborating with Indian authorities. During this period it competed and sometimes cooperated with other militant organisations active in the region.

In July 2000 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen declared a unilateral ceasefire and offered to enter talks with the Indian government, a move that generated significant political attention. The ceasefire collapsed within weeks and the organisation returned to armed activity. Its capacity declined through the 2000s and 2010s as Indian security operations, the reduction of external support, and competition from other groups took their toll. Syed Salahuddin has remained based in Pakistani-administered territory and continued to publicly call for jihad.

The United States designated Salahuddin as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2017, citing his calls for attacks on Indian interests. The organisation itself was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department in August 2017, a step India welcomed as recognition of the group's decades-long campaign against Indian security forces and civilians.

Ideology

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen's ideology blends Kashmiri Islamic identity with the Jamaat-e-Islami tradition of political Islam. Unlike secular Kashmiri nationalist movements, it frames the resolution of the Kashmir conflict in explicitly Islamic terms, arguing that the Muslim-majority nature of the region makes its accession to Pakistan a religious as well as political imperative. Under Salahuddin the organisation increasingly adopted jihadist language, declaring that armed struggle would continue regardless of any diplomatic process.

The organisation does not subscribe to the globalised Salafi-jihadist ideology of al-Qaeda or the Islamic State and has not directed or claimed attacks outside the immediate Kashmir theatre. Its focus has remained the territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, and it has positioned itself as an authentic Kashmiri voice rather than an externally directed proxy, though critics note its sustained reliance on Pakistani patronage.

Designation Status

India has listed Hizb-ul-Mujahideen under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since the group's early years of operation. The United States designated the organisation a Foreign Terrorist Organization in August 2017, and its leader Syed Salahuddin was listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist two months earlier. The organisation is not listed under the UN Security Council 1267/2253 sanctions regime as of the most recent available information.