Wilderness Survival Foreign Terrorist Organizations Lashkar I Jhangvi (LJ)
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| Lashkar I Jhangvi (LJ) |
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| Wednesday, 06 October 2004 | |
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Lashkar I Jhangvi (LJ) Goals and Objectives. Lashkar I Jhangvi (LJ) is a radical Sunni group that has primarily targeted Shi’a Muslims in Pakistan. The group apparently aims to establish Pakistan as a Sunni Islamic state based on Islamic law. The group has close links to Al Qaeda and has adopted that organization’s anti-Western, anti-U.S. ideology. Favored Tactics. The group has conducted a variety of armed attacks and bombings, including several suicide bombings. Brief History. LJ arose in 1996 out of sectarian conflicts in Pakistan between radical Sunni Muslim and Shi’a Muslim factions. LJ’s members belong to the radical Deobandi sect of Sunni Islam, and have carried out numerous attacks against the minority Shi’a population, which they consider apostate. LJ reportedly killed 25 Shi’a and wounded 50 others in Lahore in 1998 and attempted to assassinate then- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999. The group has also been connected to attacks against Christian groups in Pakistan. In mid-2001, Pakistani President Musharraf outlawed the group, which took refuge in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Since the fall of the Taliban, the group has presumably returned to Pakistan, but several leaders have been captured or killed by the Pakistani government.Favored Tactics. The group has conducted a variety of armed attacks and bombings, including several suicide bombings. Anti-American Activities. Lashkar I Jhangvi has carried out several attacks against Americans in Pakistan, most notably the kidnapping and subsequent murder of journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 in conjunction with Al Qaeda. (See also Jaish-e- Mohammed entry, above.) The group also reportedly killed four American oil workers in 1997 and attacked the Protestant International Church in Islamabad with grenades in 2002, killing two Americans. Areas of Operation. The group operates mainly in Punjab and Karachi in Pakistan, and some members reportedly travel in Afghanistan. Its strength is most manifest in urban areas. Strength and Composition. The members of Lashkar I Jhangvi are militant Sunni Muslims of the Deobandi sect. The State Department estimates their strength at fewer than 100. Connections With Other Terrorist Organizations. LJ’s leaders participated in the Afghan war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s and are believed to have connected with bin Laden during that time. LJ members reportedly trained at Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan in the 1990s. Al Qaeda is also believed to have provided key support to the group in several of its attacks against Western targets since 2002. Pakistani authorities believe that LJ has formed a partnership with two other Islamic militant groups in Pakistan, Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI) and Jaishe- Mohammed (JeM, see entry above), to form Lashkar-e-Omar (LeO), also called al- Qanoon.271 State Supporters and Other Sources of Funding. Beyond support from Al Qaeda, it is not known how the group funds its activities. Originally Designated as an FTO. January 30, 2003. Issues of Concern for Congress. This group has engaged in serious anti- American violence in Pakistan, including apparently participating in the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. (See also Jaish-e-Mohammed entry.) Its activities may threaten the stability of Pakistan and the South Asian region. Its connections with Al Qaeda make it a serious concern. |
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