SUMMARY

The Fedayeen Islam (Partisans of Islam) is a little known group of Islamic militants based and operating in Pakistan. The demands of the group are the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and representatives from Pakistan as well as an end to U.S. airstrikes against militants in Pakistan’s and Afghanistan’s tribal areas.

The group had its base in South Waziristan, but was forced to withdraw from this region when the Pakistani security forces launched a major operation against militant outfits in the area in fall 2009. Like other militant groups in north-western Pakistan, Fedayeen Islam has since then been under pressure from counterinsurgency operations of the Pakistani forces and U.S. drone-strikes. According to unconfirmed reports, the operational commander of Fedayeen Islam, Qari Mohammad Zafar, was killed in an U.S. airstrike in the village of Danda Darpa Khel on 18 February 2010.

It is unclear to what extent Fedayeen Islam is linked to other militant outfits in Pakistan and beyond. Some reports imply that the group is an alliance comprising the Pakistani Taleban, the anti-Shia Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Lashkar-e-Mohammed. A major argument in favour of close links between Fedayeen Islam and other militant groups is its extended leadership, which, amongst others comprises Qari-Hussain Mehsud from the Pakistani Taleban who has become known for the training of child suicide bombers.

Some claim that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi actively assisted in the preparations of the 2008 hotel bombing in Islamabad. However, it should be noted that the leadership of the Pakistani Taleban denied any involvement in the hotel bombing. Furthermore, the group is suspected to have links to the al-Qaida network and experts have also pointed to the similarities of the bomb attack carried out by Fedayeen Islam against the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad with suicide bombings committed by al-Qaida.

Fedayeen Islam has been active in the one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.