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Indian Mujahideen is the name of a militant Islamist group in India, that has claimed responsibility for several attacks against civilian targets in India.

Believed to be a "shadow amalgam of the SIMI and Lashkar-e-Toiba", the Indian Mujahideen have been declared a "terrorist" organization, and membership in the group has been banned in India.

Investigators believe that Indian Mujahideen is one of many groups composed of lower-tier SIMI members. According to the Indian Intelligence Bureau, SIMI took new titles at the urging of Pakistan's ISI and because the top leadership of SIMI has been detained and would be available for interrogation. The change in names is also believed to signal a change in tactics as SIMI-affiliated militants attempt to garner more support from India's Muslim community rather than be seen as a group consisting of foreigners.

Two days after the 13 May 2008 Jaipur bombings, the Islamic extremist group sent an e-mail to Indian media in which they claimed responsibility for the attacks and said they would "demolish the faith (Hinduism) of the infidels of India".

The biggest and boldest attack to date by the group was the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, where it gained national notoriety with a casualty count towards 50.

This group also claimed to be responsible for the 2008 Delhi serial blasts.

Attacks claimed by Indian Mujahideen

• 23 November 2007 Uttar Pradesh serial blasts
• 13 May 2008 Jaipur bombings
• 2008 Bangalore serial blasts
• 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts
• 2008 Delhi serial blasts

Indian Mujahideen emails

The Indian Mujahideen have sent several emails claiming responsibility for several bombings.

The complete text of the Indian Mujahideen email, sent 4 minutes before Ahmedabad blasts can be seen at , . It warns about havoc about to happen in five minues.

"... Here we are back - the Mujahideen of India - the terrorists on the disbelievers - the radicals of Islam - after our triumphant and successful assault at Jaipur, once again calling you all, who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to accept Islam and bear witness that there is none to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. Accept Islam and save yourselves.

O Hindus! O disbelieving faithless Indians! Haven’t you still realized that the falsehood of your 33 crore dirty mud idols and the blasphemy of your deaf, dumb, mute and naked idols of ram, krishna and hanuman are not at all going to save your necks, Insha-Allah, from being slaughtered by our hands?

We call you, O Hindus, O enemies of Allah, to take an honest stance with yourselves lest another attack of Ibn-e-Qasim sends shivers down your spines, lest another Ghauri shakes your foundations, and lest another Ghaznawi massacres you, proving your blood to be the cheapest of all mankind! Have you forgotten your history full of subjugation, humiliation, and insult? Or do you want us to repeat it again? Take heed before it is too late!

So wait! ................ Await now……….! Wait only for five minutes from now! .... Wait for the Mujahideen and Fidayeen of Islam and stop them if you can - who will make you feel the terror of Jihad. Feel the havoc cast into your hearts by Allah, the Almighty, face His Dreadful Punishment, and suffer the results of fighting the Muslims and the Mujahideen. Await the anguish, agony, sorrow and pain. Await, only for 5 minutes, to feel the fear of death...".

The email was in the form of a pdf document that included several quotes from the Quran.

The past emails by Indian Mujahideen include the following :

• Serial blasts in three towns of Uttar Pradesh in November 2007
• May 13 2008, after the Jaipur blasts email, traced to a Ghaziabad cyber cafe.
• July 26, 2008, four minues before Ahmedabad blasts, email traced Kenneth Haywood's WiFi IP address in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai.
• August 2008, after the press conference held by the Gujarat Police, IP address traced to WiFi network of Khalsa college in Matunga, central Mumbai.
• September 13 2008,during the Delhi serial blast, IP address traced to WiFi network of Kamran Power Control Pvt Ltd, at 201-202 Eric House, 16th Road, Chembur.

They did not sent any e-mail messages claiming responsibility for the serial blasts in Bangalore on July 25, 2008.

Suspects and arrests

According to Gujarat police, the breakthrough in the Ahmedabad blasts case came from five ‘switched-off’ mobile phone numbers. Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Ashish Bhatia said that the terrorists had procured five SIM cards of phones that were switched off on the day of the blasts — July 26. The analysis of the phone calls made to those SIM cards from PCOs provided them the key leads.

The arrest of ten suspects included the leader, Mufti Abu Bashir Ishlahi alias Abdul Wasir, who was arrested the help of Uttar Pradesh police at his father's home at Sarai Mir in Azamgarh UP on August 14, 2008.

Bashir studied in the local Madarsatul Islah and later in Deoband in Saharanpur. According to the reports Bashir claimed that the bombings cost Rs 75,000 a SIMI activist sold his house in Kutch to get the amount.

Bashir, who had stayed in Ahmedabad along with Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, a co-conspirator, had bought five SIM cards using local names and addresses. He had used these cellphone numbers to remain in touch with the other members of the module at the planning stage of the conspiracy. Bashir had given the SIM cards to the bomb planters on July 26, who had used them carefully. Each member had contacted the others through STD-PCO booths after successfully planting the bombs. These numbers were used only for receiving calls. Many of the calls were from Juhapura, where Zahid Shaikh, one of the key members of the group, lived at Sandhi Avenue near the Sarkhej highway. These numbers had become inactive immediately after the blasts.

Jamia Nagar Encounter

On September 19, 2008, the police raided an apartment in Jamia Nagar, near Jamia Millia in Delhi. There is speculation that the prime suspect in the Ahmedabad blasts, Mufti Abu Bashir, a madrasa teacher from Azamgarh, may have pointed out the apartment . The raid resulted in the death of suspected terrorists Bashir alias Mohammed Atif Amin (son of Mohammed Amin, cloth merchant in Bhiwandi), Mohammad Sajid and a decorated policemen Mohan Chand Sharma in the gunfight. Mohammad Saif (the son of Samajwadi Party leader Shadab Ahmed) was arrestd while two suspects managed to flee by possibly jumping the rooftops. All of the suspects were from Azamgarh district’s Sarai Mir town. They claimed to be students, but that was denied by Jamia Millia

The five were thought to be responsible for manufacturing bombs used in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi blasts.

Atif claimed to have been studying for a diploma in Human Resources Development from Jamia Milia Islamia University. However Jamia Milia denied having him as a student. Some residets of Sarai Mir thought he was pursuing his bachelors in technology from Jamia Hamdard.

Atif was said to have been the leader of a group of 14 young men belong to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, all claiming to have been studying in Delhi: Atif (24), Sajid alias Pankaj (19), (both now dead), Shehzad alias Pappu (22), Junaid (27), Shahdab Bhai alias Mallick (27), Sajid (24), Mohammad Khalid (25), Arif (22), Shakil (26), Zia Khan (24) and Salman (25), Zeeshan (24) and Mohammad Saif (23).

Zeeshan Jawed was arrested from the offices of a private TV station, worked for a private company, Monarch International, on Vikas Marg.

It is reported that Mohammad Saif has said that the plans to carry out several blasts across the country were mooted about three years ago when the Indian Mujahideen (IM) was formed . Although the blasts spanned over a period of 10 months (the first blasts took place in August 2007 in Hyderabad), the planning was made far back in 2005. After that series of explosions occurred Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

There is considerable resentment in Sarai Mir over the death of the local boys. Villagers have blamed the media for giving a bad name to Azamgarh by calling it a "nursery of terror". Dreaded mafia don Abu Salem and Dawood Ibrahim also hail from here. Azamgarh used to export its famous country-made pistols, known as kattas, whose factories dot the region. The district was also known for young sharpshooters who joined Mumbai gangs. Individuals from the area have been accused of the murders of Bollywood producer Gulshan Kumar in Mumbai and Left leader Shankar Guha Niyogi in Chhattisgarh. It has been claimed that very month, Mumbai and West Asia dons pump in Rs 1 crore through the hawala channels into this district.

See also

• Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
• Students Islamic Movement of India
• Abdul Subhan Qureshi

References

1. What is Indian Mujahideen?". Retrieved on 2008-07-27
2. Ambani in Indian Mujhaideens Email" Times of India". Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
3. Nanjappa, Vicky (07-27-2008). "Investigators say Indian Mujahideen is SIMI, V2.0". Rediff.com. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help), Retrieved on 07-29-2008
4. Nanjappa, Vicky (07-29-2008). "Revealed: Indian Mujahideen's two-pronged terror strategy". Rediff.com. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help), Retrieved on 07-29-2008
5. "Unknown Islamic group threatens more blasts in tourist India", Agence France-Presse, May 14, 2008.
6. "Indian Mujahideen sends pre-blast video footage", India Today, May 14, 2008.
7. "Outraged India set to expel migrants", The Australian, May 19, 2008.
8. http://deshgujarat.com/2008/08/02/full-text-of-indian-muajahideens-ahmedabad-blasts-email/ THE RISE OF JIHAD, REVENGE OF GUJRAT
9. http://www.islam-watch.org/JihadiUmmah/Indian-Mujahideen.htm THE RISE OF JIHAD, REVENGE OF GUJRAT
10. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indian_Mujahideen_terror_mail_traced_to_Mumbai_Police/articleshow/3480334.cms Indian Mujahideen terror mail traced to Mumbai: Police 14 Sep 2008, 0013 hrs IST, Mateen Hafeez,TNN
11. http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080915&fname=raman&sid=1 More Questions Than Answers
12. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/15/india Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility for Jaipur blasts
13. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080516/jsp/nation/story_9278391.jsp Agents of terror: cafe to humble wheels ‘Jaipur email’ traced to cyber outlet in UP
14. http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=3&contentid=2008081720080817024615917ad002c3c Five SIM cards gave us the vital clues
15. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Hang-him-if-he-is-a-terrorist-says-Abu-Bashirs-father/350069/ Hang him if he is a terrorist, says Abu Bashir’s father
16. http://www.inewsindia.com/2008/08/22/mufti-abu-bashir-admits-involvement-in-ahmedabad-blasts-police/ Mufti Abu Bashir admits involvement in Ahmedabad blasts: Police!
17. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/The-art-of-mastering-SIMple-cards/352302/ The art of mastering SIMple cards
18. http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&issueid=71&task=view&id=15670&sectionid=4&Itemid=1 More attacks possible, says Ahmedabad blasts prime suspect
19. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Shootout_at_Delhis_Jamia_Nagar_2_terrorists_killed/articleshow/3502240.cms Shootout at Jamia Nagar; 2 terrorists killed
20. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080920/jsp/nation/story_9861753.jsp Jamia trail ends in hitmen cradle
21. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080920/jsp/frontpage/story_9861297.jsp War in warren-like Delhi - Blast suspects killed in gun battle
22. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080920/jsp/nation/story_9861753.jsp Jamia trail ends in hitmen cradle
23. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=223222 ‘They were like any other students’
24. http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20080920/1055/tnl-atif-didn-t-shy-from-tenant-verifica.html Atif didn't shy from tenant verification
25. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/linked-to-lashkar-fan-of-osama-atif-was-.../363971/ Linked to Lashkar, fan of Osama, Atif was part of 14
26. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Azamgarh_shocked_angry_over_news_of_Delhi_encounter/articleshow/3506464.cms Azamgarh shocked, angry over news of Delhi encounter
27. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=bebbc3a5-6050-4e69-9c53-cef3e3e29643TerrorStrikesDelhi_Special&&Headline=Serial+blasts+were+planned+in+2005Serial blasts were planned in 2005
28. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Azamgarh_shocked_angry_over_news_of_Delhi_encounter/articleshow/3506464.cms Azamgarh shocked, angry over news of Delhi encounter
29. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=223358
30. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080920/jsp/nation/story_9861753.jspJamia trail ends in hitmen cradle

• Terrorism in India
• Islamic terrorism
• Islamism
• Anti-Hinduism
• Islamist groups
• Jihadist organizations
• Terrorism