Punjab militancy: Four groups to lookout for

New Delhi, June 9: The ISI funding the Punjab militant groups has been in the news for sometime. Yesterday an intelligence bureau input revealed that the ISI was ready to take into its fold 22 youth from Punjab and train them to launch terror strikes in India.

For the ISI the biggest trump card are the Punjab militants. Since the days of their networks in Punjab being busted by the one and only KPS Gill, these persons have taken shelter in Pakistan.

There are four groups from Punjab who are itching to launch strikes in Punjab and revive militancy.

The ISI has advised these militants to make Malaysia their home for now. Malaysia which houses terror modules of various other ISI sponsored groups will oversee the launch of the Punjab militants. Here are the groups to watch out for:

The Babbar Khalsa International:

Under the leadership of the late Talwinder Singh Parmar, the first unit of the BKI was founded at Canada in 1981. They formed the group with a motive of forming an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

The major incidents by this group involves the mid air explosion of the Air India Flight 182 in 1985, in which 329 persons were killed.

This group also carried out the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. Wadhwa Singh and his deputy Mehal Singh head this group, and both of them figure in India's terror dossier to Pakistan.

Khalistan Zindabad Force:

The Khaslistan Zindabad Force or the KZF is one of the most dangerous outfits in the world today. It is headed by a top ranking leader, Ranjeet Singh Neeta. Founded in the year 1980, this group always battled security agencies in Punjab.

The KZF has also been involved in a number of incidents after Operation Blue Star. The outfit has a majority of Sikhs from Jammu.
The ISI will use this outfit to carry out strikes in Delhi and Jammu according to Intelligence Bureau reports.

This group is considered to be dangerous as it specializes in suicide or fidayeen attacks. This group has also set up a specialized unit in Nepal which helps supply the RDX. It was only recently that 20 kilograms of RDX belonging to this group was seized from the Nepal border.

International Sikh Youth Federation:

The International Sikh Youth Federation or the ISYF came into force after Operation Blue Star. It was founded in the United Kingdom in the year 1984 by Lakhbhir Singh Rhode, the nephew of slain Sikh leader Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

This group has been accused of being linked directly with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. It has been providing logistic support to the other militant groups and also is alleged to have helped the Lashkar raise funds.

Khalistan Commando Force:

Founded by Manbir Singh Chaheru in the year 1986 today the group is headed by one of India's most wanted criminals, Paramjeet Singh Panjwar. This group shot to the limelight after it decided to take on the army post Operation Blue Star.

This is the same group that assassinated General Arun Vaidya who led the Operation Blue Star. The other incident reported was the killing of 50 passengers on a Punjab train. The Khalistan Commando Force was the group behind this incident as well.

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