Harkat-ul-mujahidin (Noun)
Meaning
An Islamic fundamentalist group in Pakistan that fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s; now operates as a terrorist organization primarily in Kashmir and seeks Kashmir's accession by Pakistan.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The United States government designated Harkat-ul-Mujahidin a foreign terrorist organization in 1997, due to its long history of terrorist activities in the region.
- Harkat-ul-Mujahidin, originally an ally of the US in the Soviet-Afghan War, began targeting Indian security forces after the war in Afghanistan ended.
- Pakistan officially banned Harkat-ul-Mujahidin in 2002 under pressure from the United States and the international community, but some experts believe it continues to operate covertly.
- As one of the oldest militant groups operating in Kashmir, Harkat-ul-Mujahidin is responsible for a number of terrorist attacks on civilians and Indian military targets.
- In 1999, Indian authorities linked Harkat-ul-Mujahidin to the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi, an act of terrorism that brought the group further international notoriety.