Centre Declares Kashmir-Born IS Recruitment Cell Head as Terrorist

The Union government has declared the head of the Islamic State (IS) recruitment cell for India, Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

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

Ministry of Home Affairs announced in a Wednesday notification, saying "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".

Born in Nawakadal in Srinagar in 1974, Ahanger has close contacts with Al- Qaida and other Global Terrorist Groups and is engaged in restarting the Islamic State (IS) channels in India, mentions the notification.

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.

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The MHA notification states that Ahanger has been 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 organisations.

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.

The Centre uses clause (a) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to add the name of an individual in the Fourth Schedule to the Act, if it believes that he is involved in terrorism.

(with inputs from ANI)

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