New Delhi: Islamic fundamentalist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami or HuJi has claimed responsibility for the Delhi High Court blast on Wednesday that killed at least 11 and injured over 60 people.
HuJI attacks
Security agencies believe that HuJI (Bangladesh) has been involved in most major terror strikes in India over the past decade.
Hyderabad bombings, August 2007: Two bombs exploded almost simultaneously. The first bomb exploded in Lumbini Amusement Park and the five minutes later at in Gokul Chat Bhandar, a popular restaurant. At least 42 people were reported to have died in the two bombings.
Varanasi bombings, March, 2006: A series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi killed at least 28 people and as many as 101 others were injured. The first blast took place at the crowded Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple near the Banaras Hindu University.
Delhi blasts, September 2008: Delhi bombings were a series of five synchronised bomb blasts that took place within a span of few minutes at various locations in the capital. At least 30 people killed and over 100 injured.
Delhi High Court blast, September 2011: The most recent terror attack at the Delhi High Court on the Sher Shah Marg killed at least 11 people.
HuJi is also suspected to have its hand in other attacks including blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad in 2008.
How it all began
HuJI was formed in Pakistan in 1980 to fight the Soviet presence in Afghanistan in the form of organised militia. After Soviets pulled out from Afghanistan, HuJI personnel began looking at Bangladesh as a safe base. However, over the years HuJI’s power and influence gradually declined.
In 1992, it got a fresh lease of life when HuJI Bangladesh (HuJI-B) was formed on direct instructions from Osama bin Laden. Its primary aim was to establish Islamic rule and wipe out Indian and Western influence in Bangladesh. It had the slogan ‘Amra Sobai Hobo Taliban, Bangla Hobe Afghanistan (We all will become Taliban, Bangladesh will be Afghanistan). Later, HUJI Bangladesh was to become part of the International Islamic Front (IIF) set up by Osama bin Laden in 1998.
Post 9/11, al Qaeda elements from Pakistan are believed to have moved to Bangladesh and joined HuJI, which is believed to have close links with Pakistan's ISI.
Currently, HuJI operations are based out from Bangladesh and Pakistan, but a strong network has been developed across India as well with several alleged HuJI members arrested from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Prominent HuJI faces
Ilyas Kashmiri, the operational commander of HuJI, was reportedly killed in a US Predator drone strike in South Waziristan on June 4, 2011. He was linked to the February 13 2010 bombing of a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune. A statement was released soon after the attack which claimed to be from Kashmiri; it threatened other cities and major sporting events in India.
Abdul Sahil Mohammad alias Shahid Bilal, who allegedly built the organisation in southern India and is suspected to have masterminded three terror attacks in Hyderabad - the twin blasts, the Mecca Masjid attack and the strike on Special Task Force. However, there are reports claim that he was killed in August, 2007 in Karachi.
Jalaluddin Mullah alias Babu Bhai is known to be the group's commander for northern India. He was arrested by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police in June 2007. He has confessed to having delivered explosives including RDX across the country since 2004. This includes a consignment to an operative in Delhi before the Sarojini Nagar blasts. Babu Bhai is also an accused in the abduction of Khadim Shoe's chief Partha Roy Burman from Kolkata in 2001.
Both Bilal and Babu Bhai are believed to have been working for Dhaka-based HUJI commander Munir-ul Islam alias Asadullah.
HuJI attacks
Security agencies believe that HuJI (Bangladesh) has been involved in most major terror strikes in India over the past decade.
Hyderabad bombings, August 2007: Two bombs exploded almost simultaneously. The first bomb exploded in Lumbini Amusement Park and the five minutes later at in Gokul Chat Bhandar, a popular restaurant. At least 42 people were reported to have died in the two bombings.Varanasi bombings, March, 2006: A series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi killed at least 28 people and as many as 101 others were injured. The first blast took place at the crowded Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple near the Banaras Hindu University.
Delhi blasts, September 2008: Delhi bombings were a series of five synchronised bomb blasts that took place within a span of few minutes at various locations in the capital. At least 30 people killed and over 100 injured.
Delhi High Court blast, September 2011: The most recent terror attack at the Delhi High Court on the Sher Shah Marg killed at least 11 people.
HuJi is also suspected to have its hand in other attacks including blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad in 2008.
How it all began
HuJI was formed in Pakistan in 1980 to fight the Soviet presence in Afghanistan in the form of organised militia. After Soviets pulled out from Afghanistan, HuJI personnel began looking at Bangladesh as a safe base. However, over the years HuJI’s power and influence gradually declined.
In 1992, it got a fresh lease of life when HuJI Bangladesh (HuJI-B) was formed on direct instructions from Osama bin Laden. Its primary aim was to establish Islamic rule and wipe out Indian and Western influence in Bangladesh. It had the slogan ‘Amra Sobai Hobo Taliban, Bangla Hobe Afghanistan (We all will become Taliban, Bangladesh will be Afghanistan). Later, HUJI Bangladesh was to become part of the International Islamic Front (IIF) set up by Osama bin Laden in 1998.
Post 9/11, al Qaeda elements from Pakistan are believed to have moved to Bangladesh and joined HuJI, which is believed to have close links with Pakistan's ISI.
Currently, HuJI operations are based out from Bangladesh and Pakistan, but a strong network has been developed across India as well with several alleged HuJI members arrested from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Prominent HuJI faces
Ilyas Kashmiri, the operational commander of HuJI, was reportedly killed in a US Predator drone strike in South Waziristan on June 4, 2011. He was linked to the February 13 2010 bombing of a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune. A statement was released soon after the attack which claimed to be from Kashmiri; it threatened other cities and major sporting events in India.
Abdul Sahil Mohammad alias Shahid Bilal, who allegedly built the organisation in southern India and is suspected to have masterminded three terror attacks in Hyderabad - the twin blasts, the Mecca Masjid attack and the strike on Special Task Force. However, there are reports claim that he was killed in August, 2007 in Karachi.
Jalaluddin Mullah alias Babu Bhai is known to be the group's commander for northern India. He was arrested by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police in June 2007. He has confessed to having delivered explosives including RDX across the country since 2004. This includes a consignment to an operative in Delhi before the Sarojini Nagar blasts. Babu Bhai is also an accused in the abduction of Khadim Shoe's chief Partha Roy Burman from Kolkata in 2001.
Both Bilal and Babu Bhai are believed to have been working for Dhaka-based HUJI commander Munir-ul Islam alias Asadullah.
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