Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Kashmiri militant Zakir Musa named head of new Al-Qaeda-linked group

A prominent young Kashmiri militant has been named as the head of a new Al-Qaeda-linked group in the disputed Himalayan territory, a move described by Indian police Thursday (27) as an "ideological shift" in the long-running conflict.

The declaration, by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated propaganda channel, marks the first time the international jihadist group has pushed so far into Kashmir, a restive Muslim-majority region divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both.


Zakir Musa, a 23-year-old militant based in Indian-administered Kashmir, was named leader of the new group by the Global Islamic Media Front, a propaganda organisation linked to Al-Qaeda.

The statement, published Wednesday (26) by US monitor SITE Intelligence Group, said "the jihad in Kashmir had entered a stage of awakening" and that the new movement would "liberate our homeland".

More details about the new group, 'Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind', would be released soon, the statement added.

For decades, armed groups in Kashmir have waged an insurgency against Indian rule, fighting for independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

Al-Qaeda established an Indian chapter in September 2014, but it has not garnered wide support.

The announcement of a new Islamist outfit in Kashmir linked to the global extremist group was an "ideological shift", said Kashmir police chief S. P. Vaid.

"Earlier, people were fighting for something different," Vaid said on Thursday.

"For us, whoever picks up a gun is a terrorist. Musa is a terrorist. Organisation doesn't matter. We'll see, we'll face it."

Musa is a controversial figure in Kashmir, having ruffled feathers by criticising top separatist leaders for not pursuing Islamic law in the contested region.

Separatist groups have repeatedly stated that Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have no role in the Kashmiri self-determination movement, claiming the armed movement against Indian occupation as "indigenous".

Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) said the announcement was an Indian conspiracy to label Kashmir's freedom struggle as terrorism.

LeT spokesman Mehmood Shah in statement issued late Thursday said "groups such as AL-Qaeda and ISIS are being brought up to label the legitimate freedom struggle as terrorism."

Security officials consider the young militant's following to be small.

Musa was understood to have succeeded Burhan Wani as leader of Hizbul Mujahideen after the charismatic rebel leader was shot dead by Indian forces last July.

But Musa fell out with the militant group, the largest in Kashmir, over ideological differences.

Wani's killing sparked months of widespread protests against Indian rule and left nearly 100 civilians dead and thousands injured.

Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, is one of the most heavily militarised spots on earth with a long history of conflict.

The conflict has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.

More For You

Shabana Mahmood
Shabana Mahmood (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

New report shows 'how we can actually stop the boats'

HOME SECRETARY Shabana Mahmood can adopt a bigger and bolder approach combining “control and compassion” in reducing the number of asylum seekers arriving on UK shores via small boats, a new report out today (18) said.

Britain on Thursday (18) returned the first migrant - an Indian national - to France under a new "one-in, one-out" deal, which Mahmood hailed as “an important first step to securing our borders".

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer, Trump hail renewal of 'special relationship'

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer (right) with US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch members of the Red Devils Army parachute display team at Chequers, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, on day two of the president's second state visit to the UK. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer, Trump hail renewal of 'special relationship'

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and British prime minister Keir Starmer hailed the renewal of their nations' "special relationship" on Thursday (18), drawing the US leader's unprecedented second state visit to a close with a show of unity after avoiding possible pitfalls.

At a warm press conference when the two leaders glossed over differences on Gaza and wind power to present a united front, Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin had "let him down" and he was disappointed other countries were still buying Russian oil because only a low oil price would punish Moscow.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kamal Pankhania
Kamal Pankhania
Kamal Pankhania

Exclusive: Asians emerge as major donors to political parties

ASIAN business leaders have emerged among the most prominent donors to UK political parties in the second quarter of 2025, new figures from the Electoral Commission showed.

Among individual Asian donors, Kamal Pankhania and Haridas (Harish) Sodha stood out with £100,000 contributions each. Pankhania’s gift to the Conservatives in June and Sodha’s support for Labour in April were the largest Asian donations recorded during the second quarter of this year, data released on September 4 showed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tributes paid to entrepreneur and philanthropist Rafiq M Habib

Rafiq M Habib (Photo: Habib University Foundation)

Tributes paid to entrepreneur and philanthropist Rafiq M Habib

TRIBUTES have been paid to Rafiq M Habib, a prominent Asian business leader, philanthropist and founding chancellor of Habib University, who passed away in Dubai earlier this month. He was 88.

News of his death was confirmed by Habib University, which described him as the “moral and visionary force” behind its creation. “His calm resolve and integrity shaped every step of this journey, and his belief in education’s role in serving the greater good continues to guide our mission,” the university said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
migrant crossings

The man is suspected of using online platforms to advertise illegal boat crossings

AFP via Getty Images

Asian man held in Birmingham for advertising migrant crossings online

AN ASIAN man has been arrested in Birmingham as part of an investigation into the use of social media to promote people smuggling, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday (15).

The 38-year-old British Pakistani man was detained during an NCA operation in the Yardley area. He is suspected of using online platforms to advertise illegal boat crossings between North Africa and Europe.

Keep ReadingShow less