Kashmir-Born Ahmad Ahanger Who Heads Islamic State Recruitment Cell For India Declared 'Terrorist'

The Srinagar-born terrorist is currently based in Afghanistan and is one of the chief recruiters of Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).

New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday declared the Kashmir-born Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri, who is the head of the Islamic State (IS) recruitment cell for India, as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The Srinagar-born terrorist is currently based in Afghanistan and is one of the chief recruiters of Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).

He has been designated as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Union Home Ministry declared through a notification.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in its notification said, "Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri is involved in terrorism and he is to be added as a terrorist under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967".

The MHA notification states that Ahanger was born in Nawakadal in Srinagar in 1974, and has close contacts with Al- Qaida and other Global Terrorist Groups and is engaged in restarting the Islamic State (IS) channels in India.

Ahanger is a wanted terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir for more than two decades and has started planning terror-related strategies in Jammu and Kashmir by building coordination channels between various terrorist groups, mentions the notification.

The home ministry said Ahanger is working towards providing traction to militancy in Kashmir and has started the process of identifying people for inclusion in his Kashmir-based network.

"Ahanger was appointed as head of Islamic State (IS) recruitment cell for India and had been instrumental in initiating an online India-centric ISIS Propaganda Magazine," said the notification.

With his inclusion in the Fourth Schedule under the UAPA, 1967, Ahanger will be the 49th individual to be designated as a terrorist, the notification added.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, of 1967 has been enacted to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities and for matters connected therewith.

(Inputs from agencies)