India notifies 18 more persons as designated terrorists including Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin, Indian Mujahideen’s Bhatkal brothers

Union Home Ministry on Tuesday notified 18 more people in the designated-as-terrorist list including Chief of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahudin, founders of Indian Mujahideen outfit Bhatkal brothers. The hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 – Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar, and Yusuf Azhar – have also been named in the list, prepared under provisions of the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Among those named in the list of terrorists were Sajid Mir, Pakistan based top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who was one of the main planners of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack; Yusuf Muzammil, a LeT commander and accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack; Abdur Rehman Makki, brother-in-law of Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed, who heads political affairs and has served in the outfit’s foreign relations department.

The three kin of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masoor Azhar — Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar, and Yusuf Azhar – all wanted in connection with the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 have been designated as terrorists.

The list names Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri alias Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Mohammed Iqbal alias Iqbal Bhatkal, who formed Indian Mujahideen and were involved in various terrorist acts including attacks on German Bakery (2010), Chinnaswami Stadium, Bangalore (2010), Jama Masjid (2010), Sheetlaghat (2010) and Mumbai (2011). They have also been accused of terror financing and various terrorist acts including the Jaipur serial blasts (2008), Delhi serial blasts (2008), serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Surat (2008).

Four close aides of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim – who was designated a global terrorist by the UN – Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel, Mohammad Anis Shaikh, Ibrahim Memon alias Tiger Memon and Javed Chikna have been named in the list. Besides being involved in the 1993 serial blast in Mumbai, they are also accused of looking after all criminal and underworld operations of D-Company.

Pakistan-based Deputy Chief of proscribed organization Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF) – a frontal organization of terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – Shahid Mehmood alias Shahid Mehmood Rehmatullah, was also declared a terrorist. Farhatullah Ghori alias Abu Sufiyan, a Pakistan-based terrorist who was involved in the attack on Akshardham Temple (2002) and the suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad (2005), also finds his name on the list.

The three kin of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masoor Azhar — Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar, and Yusuf Azhar – all wanted in connection with the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 have been designated as terrorists. They are also on the Interpol Red Corner list. The trio is also involved in setting up training camps in Pakistan for recruitment and militant training. Asghar is also a key conspirator in the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament House.

Besides Salahuddin, whose original name is Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, his deputy Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Amir Khan has also been designated a terrorist. They have been accused of being involved in fundraising and routing finances to India for the furtherance of terrorist activities by Hizbul Mujahideen cadres. Shahid Latif, a Pakistan-based terrorist and Jaish’s Commander of Sialkot sector, involved in the launching of JeM terrorists into India, has also been named. He is also involved in planning, facilitation, and execution of terror attacks in India. The ‘Designated Terrorist’ list also named Zaffar Hussain Bhat, a Pakistan-based person who handles the financial affairs of Hizbul Mujahideen.