People's Anti-Fascist Front Explained

People's Anti-Fascist Front
War:Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir[1]
Active:2020–present
Motives:Kashmiri separatism
Area:Jammu and Kashmir
Status:Active
Opponents:
Designated As Terror Group By:
  • India

The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) is a militant terrorist organization[2] [3] [1] actively engaged in insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, an ongoing armed conflict between Kashmiri separatist militants and Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. PAFF was established in 2020 by Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba, two Pakistan-based Jihadist groups.[1] [2]

The group is responsible for killing of civilians,[4] [5] several government officials,[6] [7] [8] attacking Indian forces,[9] radicalizing youth for recruitment and training in handling guns, ammunition and explosives.[10]

Description

PAFF emerged after the 2019 removal of Article 370 of the Constitution of India by the Indian government which revoked the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir.[1] According to Tracking Terrorism, the group was started in 2020 by Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba.[1]

PAFF is among several newly emerged militant groups[3] like The Resistance Front,[11] [12] United Liberation Front,[13] [14] and Ghaznavi Force.[15] [16] These groups strive to appear more 'secular'[17] [18] unlike their predecessor militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, in terms of their nomenclature, logos and slogans, as well as the nature and tone of messaging and communication through their pamphlets. For instance, the names of each of the newly emergent groups depict a clear departure from Islamic nomenclature as adopted by their predecessors.[18] The emphasis of groups like the PAFF or Lashkar-e-Taiba backed The Resistance Front[19] on terminology such as "resistance against occupation," "fascism" and "fascist forces" stems from a desire to justify their activities using a more secular-looking messaging instead of a call for jihad against infidels used by their parent organisations.[17] [18] [20] This change is also seen in the logos used by People's Anti-Fascist Front and other outfits.[18]

The PAFF, along with other militant groups have engaged in a form of 'Hybrid Militancy'. A method by which ordinary citizens are recruited into the organization, and return to their normal lives after committing acts of terrorism.[21] [22] [23]

Designation as a terrorist group

On 7 January 2023, India's Ministry of Home Affairs designated PAFF as a terrorist group.[3] [24]

Attacks and activities

Attacks

The PAFF has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir against Indian forces.[25] [26] [27] [28]

Activities

The PAFF has made use of social media videos and posters to spread its propaganda.[29] [30] [31] [32]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) - Jammu & Kashmir . Tracking Terrorism . 4 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221004180601/https://trackingterrorism.org/group/peoples-anti-fascist-front-paff-jammu-and-kashmir/ . live . subscription.
  2. News: 7 January 2023 . PAFF, a proxy of JeM, declared a terrorist organisation . The Hindu .
  3. Web site: 7 January 2023 . List of Organisations Designated as 'Terrorist Organizations' under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 . Ministry of Home Affairs, India .
  4. Web site: PAFF twin suicide attacks in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir . Tracking Terrorism . subscription.
  5. News: 13 August 2023 . People's Anti-Fascist Front claims responsibility for Rajouri attack . ABP News .
  6. News: 4 October 2022 . Lashkar-e-Taiba's Indian offshoot, the People's Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF), has claimed responsibility for the killing of Jammu and Kashmir DGP (Prisons Department) Hemant Kumar Lohia. . India Today .
  7. News: 4 October 2022 . Terror outfit PAFF claims responsibility for killing Jammu and Kashmir Police's prison chief . WION .
  8. Web site: 2 Policemen Killed In Terror Attack In Kashmir's Bandipora District . 2023-04-25 . NDTV.com.
  9. News: 26 April 2023 . Jaish arm PAFF claims Poonch ambush . The Times of India .
  10. News: 7 January 2023 . PAFF, a proxy of JeM, declared a terrorist organisation . Along with other organisations, the PAFF is indulging in the radicalisation of impressionable youth for recruitment and training in handling guns, ammunition and explosives. The group has also been involved in terrorism. It has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India, MHA said . The Hindu .
  11. News: Iqbaal . Naveed . 7 January 2023 . What is The Resistance Front, active in Jammu and Kashmir, recently declared a terrorist organisation . The Indian Express .
  12. Saptarshi Basak The Resistance Front, The Quint, 11 October 2021.
  13. News: 18 October 2021 . J&K: ULF claims responsibility for 11 civilian killings . India TV .
  14. Kabir Taneja, Khalid Shah, The Social Media Anatomy of New Radical Groups in Kashmir, Global Network of Extremism & Technology, 24 February 2021.
  15. News: 24 February 2023 . Properties of 3 J&K Ghaznavi Force operatives in Ramban attached . Hindustan Times .
  16. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/feb/17/govt-bans-jammu-and-kashmir-ghaznavi-force-for-terror-acts-2548365.html Govt bans Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force for terror acts
  17. Web site: Shah . Khalid . 24 November 2021 . The Evolution of Homegrown Militancy in Kashmir Since August 5, 2019 . Changing Militancy in Kashmir: These brands have adopted a more secularized idiom and ideology to justify their activities, emphasizing resistance against occupation, fascism and hindutva as raison d'etre instead of jihad or a religious war. . South Asian Voices.
  18. Web site: Shukla . Tejusvi . 4 July 2022 . Secularization of Militancy in Kashmir: Myth or Reality? "Terror Outfits and Perception Management" . Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
  19. Basak, Saptarchi (11 October 2021) The Resistance Front: The Invisible, LeT-Backed Outfit Terrorising Kashmir, The Quint
  20. Web site: 13 March 2023 . The "New Militancy" in Jammu and Kashmir: Contextualising the Emergent Trends: The "Secular Phase" of Militancy in J&K? . The Defence Horizon Journal.
  21. News: 5 July 2021 . 'Hybrid' militants, a new challenge for security forces in Kashmir . Security forces in Kashmir are facing a new challenge on the militancy front — the presence of "hybrid" militants who are not listed as ultras but persons radicalised enough to carry out a terror strike and then slip back into the routine life. . The Hindu .
  22. Web site: Shah . Khalid . 24 November 2021 . The Evolution of Homegrown Militancy in Kashmir Since August 5, 2019 . Security forces have increased pistol recoveries post-encounters, and in many cases, the slain militants were found weapon-less. While the dearth of weaponry may have come as a challenge, militants improvised tactics, leading to security forces grabbling with what they describe as "Hybrid Militancy." . South Asian Voices.
  23. Web site: Kapur . Roshni . 17 February 2022 . A New Phase of Militancy in Kashmir: Challenges for India: Emergence of "Hybrid Militancy" . Middle East Institute.
  24. News: 7 January 2023 . Jaish affiliate PAFF declared terrorist group . According to a notification issued by the MHA, the PAFF emerged in 2019 as a proxy outfit of JeM, a proscribed terrorist organisation. . The Indian Express .
  25. Web site: J&K prisons DGP death: No terror angle, CCTV shows domestic help fled crime scene, says police . Pak terror outfit releases video claiming Rajouri attack responsibility, says G-20 summit next target . 4 October 2022 .
  26. News: New terror outfit claims responsibility for Poonch attack . . 18 October 2021 . Singh . Vijaita . 4 October 2022 .
  27. Web site: TRAC Incident Report: People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) Militants Launch Grenades at the Police Station in Kakpora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, India & Pakistan . TRAC.
  28. Web site: Value . Grace . TRAC Incident Report: People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) Injured a Police Officer During an Encounter in Nawa Kadal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India & Pakistan . TRAC.
  29. Web site: Value . Grace . People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF): "People's Anti Fascist Front Congratulates the Kashmiri Nation on Completion of One Month of the Ongoing Poonch Operations" . TRAC.
  30. Web site: Value . Grace . (Poster) People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF): "The Adjustment Games Begin" . TRAC.
  31. Web site: JeM-backed terrorist outfit PAFF threatens to attack Lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir, saID 'will attack companies stealing our resources' . 12 February 2023 . 15 February 2023.
  32. Web site: Poonch Attack: JeM offshoot PAFF releases photos of army truck ambush, claims will release video too . 25 April 2022.

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