Four Indian Army soldiers were killed in action in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, which also left two others injured. People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy outfit of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Army and J-K Police have launched a joint search operation after the incident that took place on December 21.
What is PAFF?
People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) is an offshoot of the terror group JeM and was banned by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year.
According to the Home Ministry’s response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on March 15 this year, PAFF came into existence in 2019 and has been involved in terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. The Home Ministry also designated Arbaz Ahmad Mir, a Lashkar-e-Taiba member, as an individual terrorist under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Why was PAFF banned?
According to the Home Ministry’s response in Rajya Sabha, PAFF has been involved in radicalization of youth for the purpose of recruitment and training in handling guns, ammunitions and explosives, issuing threats to Indian security forces, political leaders and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir from other parts of the country, conspiring pro-actively physically and in social media to undertake violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other major cities in India, the Home Ministry said in its response.
“It has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India,” the Ministry said in a notification earlier.
“Therefore, exercising the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government declared the PAFF a banned organisation,” it added.
Notably, PAFF had also claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the Indian Army in April this year in which five jawans were killed in action in Poonch.
(With PTI inputs)
