Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project

February 19, 2012 Special Dispatch No.4508 Spokesman of Punjabi Taliban: 'Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab Announces Jihad in Kashmir; We will Stand Side by Side with Kashmiris in Their Struggle Until the Valley is Freed from the Clutches of Hindus' Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab recently announced the launch of jihad in India's Jammu & Kashmir state, which witnessed two decades of Pakistan-sponsored Islamic militancy since 1989. However, in the years after 9/11, the militant activities in Jammu & Kashmir have declined significantly. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab, which is part of the Pakistani Taliban's umbrella group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), includes non-Pashtun militants from various jihadist organizations based mainly in Pakistan's Punjabi province. According to a report published by an Indian website, several officials of Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab announced the launch of jihad in Jammu & Kashmir, stating that while previously they had been backed by Pakistani intelligence agencies, this time they would fight on their own. The full text of this report is available to MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Subscribers. Subscription information is available at this link. JTTM subscribers can visit this page to view the report.