SUMMARY

The Indian Mujahideen, “Indian jihadists”, emerged from the Islamist movement Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) during the first years of the 2000s although the group emerged publicly first in 2007. Their stated goal is to establish an Islamic Caliphate in South Asia and has carried out one-sided attacks against non-Muslims to further their cause. Starting in 2007 Indian Mujahideen begun to claim responsibility for their attacks, in an email they stated that the attacks were a retaliation for Hindu attacks on Muslims in 1992-1993 and 2002.

The founding leader of the Indian Mujahideen is Mohammed Ahmed Sidibapa, however there are several leaders and the group operates through a network of cells. The group is active in large parts of India including states Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. There are links between the Indian Mujahideen and Pakistani islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as other Islamist groups in India. In addition to that there is strong evidence that the Indian Mujahideen has been supported by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Indian Mujahideen first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2005, when one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in October that year when Indian Mujahideen militants killed 66 civilians in several bombings of New Delhi city.