People's Anti-Fascist Front

The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) is a militant 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]

People’s Anti-Fascist Front
Dates of operation2020–present[1]
MotivesKashmiri separatism
Active regionsJammu and Kashmir
StatusActive
Opponents
Battles and warsInsurgency in Jammu and Kashmir[1]
Designated as a terrorist group by
  • India

The group is responsible for killing of civilians,[4][5] several government officials,[6][7][8][9] attacking Indian forces,[10][11][12] radicalizing youth for recruitment and training in handling guns, ammunition and explosives.[13]

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.[14][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,[15][16] United Liberation Front,[17][18] and Ghaznavi Force.[19][20] These groups strive to appear more 'secular'[21][22] 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.[22] The emphasis of groups like the PAFF or Lashkar-e-Taiba backed The Resistance Front[23] 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.[21][22][24] This change is also seen in the logos used by People's Anti-Fascist Front and other outfits.[22]

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.[25][26][27]

Designation as a terrorist group

On 7 January 2023, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs designated PAFF as a terrorist group.[3][14]

Attacks & Activities

Attacks

The PAFF has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir against Indian forces. [11][28][12][9]

Activities

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

References
  1. "People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) - Jammu & Kashmir". Tracking Terrorism. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022.
  2. "PAFF, a proxy of JeM, declared a terrorist organisation". The Hindu. 7 January 2023.
  3. "List of Organisations Designated as 'Terrorist Organizations' under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, India. 7 January 2023.
  4. "PAFF twin suicide attacks in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir". Tracking Terrorism.
  5. "People's Anti-Fascist Front claims responsibility for Rajouri attack". ABP News. 13 August 2023.
  6. "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. 4 October 2022.
  7. "Terror outfit PAFF claims responsibility for killing Jammu and Kashmir Police's prison chief". WION. 4 October 2022.
  8. "2 Policemen Killed In Terror Attack In Kashmir's Bandipora District". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. 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.
  10. "Jaish arm PAFF claims Poonch ambush". The Times of India. 26 April 2023.
  11. "J&K prisons DGP death: No terror angle, CCTV shows domestic help fled crime scene, says police". Retrieved 4 October 2022. Pak terror outfit releases video claiming Rajouri attack responsibility, says G-20 summit next target
  12. "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.
  13. "PAFF, a proxy of JeM, declared a terrorist organisation". The Hindu. 7 January 2023. 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
  14. "Jaish affiliate PAFF declared terrorist group". The Indian Express. 7 January 2023. According to a notification issued by the MHA, the PAFF emerged in 2019 as a proxy outfit of JeM, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
  15. Iqbaal, Naveed (7 January 2023). "What is The Resistance Front, active in Jammu and Kashmir, recently declared a terrorist organisation". The Indian Express.
  16. Saptarshi Basak The Resistance Front, The Quint, 11 October 2021.
  17. "J&K: ULF claims responsibility for 11 civilian killings". India TV. 18 October 2021.
  18. Kabir Taneja, Khalid Shah, The Social Media Anatomy of New Radical Groups in Kashmir, Global Network of Extremism & Technology, 24 February 2021.
  19. "Properties of 3 J&K Ghaznavi Force operatives in Ramban attached". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2023.
  20. Govt bans Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force for terror acts, The New Indian Exprress, 17 February 2023.
  21. Shah, Khalid (24 November 2021). "The Evolution of Homegrown Militancy in Kashmir Since August 5, 2019". South Asian Voices. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Basak, Saptarchi (11 October 2021) The Resistance Front: The Invisible, LeT-Backed Outfit Terrorising Kashmir, The Quint
  24. "The "New Militancy" in Jammu and Kashmir: Contextualising the Emergent Trends: The "Secular Phase" of Militancy in J&K?". The Defence Horizon Journal. 13 March 2023.
  25. "'Hybrid' militants, a new challenge for security forces in Kashmir". The Hindu. 5 July 2021. 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.
  26. Shah, Khalid (24 November 2021). "The Evolution of Homegrown Militancy in Kashmir Since August 5, 2019". South Asian Voices. 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."
  27. Kapur, Roshni (17 February 2022). "A New Phase of Militancy in Kashmir: Challenges for India: Emergence of "Hybrid Militancy"". Middle East Institute.
  28. Singh, Vijaita (18 October 2021). "New terror outfit claims responsibility for Poonch attack". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  29. 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. Value, Grace. "(Poster) People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF): "The Adjustment Games Begin"". TRAC.
  31. "JeM-backed terrorist outfit PAFF threatens to attack Lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir, saID 'will attack companies stealing our resources'". 12 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  32. "Poonch Attack: JeM offshoot PAFF releases photos of army truck ambush, claims will release video too". Retrieved 25 April 2022.
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