Author: IANS
Publication: The Times of India
Date: October 31, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_houses_174_terror_groups_Manipur_tops_with_40/articleshow/3659956.cms
A staggering 174 terrorist, insurgent and
extremist groups, many of them little known, are operating across India, figures
compiled by a terror watch portal show.
The maximum number - 40 - operate in Manipur,
followed by 36 in Assam, 32 in Jammu and Kashmir, and 30 in Tripura, figures
compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal say.
Punjab is home to 12 terror groups, Meghalaya
houses four, Nagaland three, Mizoram two and Arunachal Pradesh one.
The list also includes pan-India Left-wing
groups like the People's War Group and the Communist Party of India-Maoist,
as also other extremist groups like the Students Islamic Movement of India
(SIMI) and the Deendar Anjuman.
The following is a thumbnail sketch of the
various terror groups operating in India:
Assam: 36 groups. Prominent among them are
United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland
(NDFB), Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), Karbi National Volunteers
(KNV), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Jehad.
Jammu&Kashmir: 32 groups. Prominent among
them are Hizbul Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Ansar (now known as Harkat-ul Mujahideen),
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad Mujahideen E-Tanzeem, Al Badr, Muslim
Janbaz Force and Ikhwan-ul-Mujahideen.
Punjab: 12 groups. Prominent among them are
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan
Commando Force (KCF), Bhindrawale Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK) and Dashmesh
Regiment.
Manipur: 40 groups. Prominent among them are
United National Liberation Front, People's Liberation Army, People's Revolutionary
Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) - all of which now operate from the unified platform
of the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), Kangleipak Communist Party
(KCP) and Kuki National Front (KNF).
Tripura: 30 groups. Prominent among them are
National Liberation Front of Tripura, All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and Tripura
Liberation Organisation Front.
Nagaland: Three groups - National Socialist
Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), National Socialist Council of Nagaland
(Khaplang) and Naga National Council (Adino).
Meghalaya: Four groups - Hynniewtrep National
Liberation Council (HNLC), Achik National Volunteer Council, People's Liberation
Front of Meghalaya and Hajong United Liberation Army.
Mizoram: Two groups - Bru National Liberation
Front and Hmar People's Convention-Democracy.
Arunachal Pradesh: Arunachal Dragon Force.
