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ISI Re-organising Militant Outfits: Report NEW DELHI: Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has shifted several militant training camps from Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) to Pakistani territory, and is re-organising the command structure of militant organisations it uses for terrorist strikes in India, according to informed sources. Under pressure to stop cross-border terrorism into India, ISI has now moved several of the training camps from PoK since these had come to the notice of the international community. But some of the camps have been retained for use by foreign mercenaries as Islamabad uses the excuse that it has no control over them, the sources added. Interrogation of a number of Pakistani militants captured by Indian authorities reveals that about 2300 militants from five camps in Muzaffarabad areas have just been moved to two camps at Taxila and Haripur in Islamabad-Peshawar area. These tactical changes have been accompanied by moves to restructure the United Jehad Council (UJC), an umberella group of 13 militant outfits, to enable ISI to have a tighter control over its running. Smaller outfits which have been irritants for ISI are being merged which will reduce the number of their representation in UJC from 13 to five. Although reducing the size of UJC had started, the ISI was unlikely to change its supremo Syed Salahuddin, according to an interrogation report of a militant which has been submitted to the Government, the sources said. The ISI has asked Al-Barq, Teherek-e-Jehad, Islamic Front, 313 brigade and the Kashmiri component of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen to merge and form Kashmir Liberation Organisation. However, there were differences on the name between Kashmiri militant leaders and ISI and the new name suggested by Kashmiris was Kashmir Freedom Force which would be led by Farooq Qureshi of Al Barq, the report said. Similarly, Muslim Janbaz Force, Al Jehad force, Al Fateh force, Hizbullah and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen were being merged to form Kashmir Resistance Force and would be led by Ghulam Rasool Shah alias General Abdullah, it said. Interestingly Tehrek-ul-Mujahideen, which did not agree to merge as per the wishes of ISI, has been asked to fend for itself and it is reported that the outfit was getting close to Lashker-e-Taiba for training and Ahl-e-Hadis (Wahabi) organisations in Pakistan for financial support, the report said. The ISI has roped in its trusted lieutenant Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman in the UJC so that it could have complete control over the amalgam. Meanwhile, amidst fears of war looming large over it in mid-2002 and growing international pressure, ISI was quick enough to shift militant camps from PoK to other places in the country with strict restrictions on the movements of Kashmiri militants. -ANI |