Kashmir's insurgency: A look at key terrorist groups
What's the story
Kashmir is witnessing one of its deadliest attacks in two decades: 26 people have died after gunmen opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam town.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an obscure armed group, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
The development has prompted India to suspend a decades-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan, announce the closure of a key border crossing, withdraw visas for Pakistani nationals, and accuse Islamabad of enabling cross-border terrorism.
Group profile
TRF's emergence and India's response
The TRF surfaced in 2019 after India's abrogation of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir a special constitutional status.
On social media, the group calls itself "Kashmir Resistance" and has tried to distance itself from blatant Islamist rhetoric.
However, Indian authorities claim it is a front of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Group profile
Lashkar-e-Taiba: A prominent Islamist militant group
Founded in 1990, Lashkar-e-Taiba (translated as "Army of the Righteous," or "Army of the Pure") is one of the most notorious Islamist militant groups in the region.
The group seeks the end of Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir and has been accused of several high-profile armed attacks throughout India.
Despite being banned by Islamabad in 2002, LeT continues to operate under the alleged patronage of Pakistan's military intelligence.
Group profiles
Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed: Key players
Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), established in 1989, used to be the most influential militant outfit in Kashmir. But it has lost ground in recent years following the death of important commanders.
Another major player is Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based Sunni Islamist outfit founded in 2000 by radical cleric Masood Azhar.
Banned in Pakistan since 2002, JeM continues to operate openly in India and Indian-administered Kashmir with declared objectives of reuniting Kashmir with Pakistan and driving Western troops out of Afghanistan.
Group profiles
Al Badr and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind: Other militant groups
Al Badr, a Hizbul Mujahideen splinter group formed in the early 1990s, has combat-hardened fighters who earlier fought alongside Afghan militia commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hizb-i-Islami in Afghanistan.
It has ties to transnational jihadi networks and has reportedly engaged Indian forces along the LoC.
Another major force is Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), formed in 2017 as al-Qaeda's Kashmir wing.
The AGH is ideologically committed to establishing an Islamic state under Sharia law in Kashmir.