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Draft:Jihad (militant group)

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The Jihad militant organization was an armed Muslim organization active in parts of eastern and northern Sri Lanka during the Sri Lankan civil war. Reports published between 1987 and 2006 described Jihad as a government-backed organization[1][2][3], and a militant group opposed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).[1][4] The organization was accused by Tamil media of involvement in attacks, abductions, killings, property destruction, and intimidation directed primarily at Tamil civilians.[5][6][7]

The name "Jihad" is an Arabic term, that the Sri Lankan magazine Al-Islam interpreted as meaning "Holy War". The magazine used the term in connection with a proposal to launch "Holy War" against the LTTE.[8] Uthayan reported the claims made by Al-Islam magazine concerning a proposal by Muslim Congress leader M. H. M. Ashraff to establish Jihad as a "Holy War" against the LTTE. The article stated that the magazine claimed majority support amongst Muslims for Ashraff’s proposal.[8]

Jihad operated through a decentralised structure in which each district was controlled by a separate head.[9] These local leaders worked independently and were expected not to interfere in one another’s areas, while maintaining links with military intelligence. The group was supplied with training and weapons by military intelligence, with the weapons transported from Colombo in vehicles belonging to cabinet ministers.[9] Jihad’s former leader, Abdul Hakeem, was shot dead in September 2005 and his killing was publicly linked to business rivalry and internal disputes within the Muslim community.[9]

History

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According to a report published on 22 January 1987, the Jihad group operated with government support and was active among Muslim communities in Mannar, Ampara and Batticaloa. The group was supplied with weapons and training by the Sri Lankan government; instructed to capture Tamil militants.[1] The Jihad group contributed to unrest in several areas of the Eastern Province. Following requests from local Muslims, Jihad was reportedly dissolved in Batticaloa and Akkaraipattu and then later banned in Erukkalampiddy, Mannar District by EROS.[1]

According to the testimony of the former member arrested by EROS, the group initially sought to combat crime and activities it considered violations of Islamic law, including robbery, gambling, alcohol consumption, and public disorder.[10] He also stated the Sri Lankan government utilized the group to encourage ethnic divisions between Hindu and Muslim communities. He blamed the Jihad group for major ethnic violence in Batticaloa but claimed that the Mannar branch did not act against Tamil militants despite government orders.[10]

Uthayan reported on 21 January 1994 that police had seized a large quantity of weapons and related items from the home of a Muslim man in Valaichchenai who was suspected of being a member of the Jihad group. The seized items included ammunition, explosives, walkie-talkies, grenades, and police insignia, some of which had been buried around the house.[11]

In 2006, the Sri Lankan government planned to establish a dedicated Muslim unit within the Sri Lanka Army, which the LTTE described as an official version of the "Jihad" paramilitary group.[12][13] The proposed unit lent credence to long-standing allegations made by the LTTE and its chief negotiator Anton Balasingham that a Muslim paramilitary group known as the Jihad group operated in eastern Sri Lanka with support from Pakistani military intelligence.[12]

Involvement in Violence

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Jihad was frequently mentioned in reports concerning intercommunal violence in eastern Sri Lanka during. The attacks attributed to Jihad included:

  • On 24 June 1990, reports attributed the deaths of 75 Tamils in Kalmunai to Jihad members and Sri Lankan Army personnel, stating that the victims had been lined up and shot.[14]
  • On 27 June 1990, Jihad members assisted security forces during arrests of 100 Tamils who had taken refuge in Kalmunai and Maruthamunai.[15]
  • On 8 July 1990, reports emerged that individuals belonging to the Jihad group attacked Tamil people in Silavathurai area of Mannar District, while blaming the Tamil community for local unrest. There were also reports of the looting of Tamil-owned property.[5]
  • On 10 July 1990, the Jihad organization, acting alongside the army looted and burned 25 Tamil homes, 2 shops, and a temple in Senaikudiyiruppu, Ampara.[16]
  • It was reported on 10 July 1990, armed groups separate from the regular military were operating in Batticaloa and Ampara, attacking Tamil civilians, burning bodies using tires, and abducting or killing hundreds whose whereabouts were unknown. The report identifies many Muslim youths affiliated with the Jihad organization as members of these groups. It further claims that these groups acted with the backing of government forces, entered areas after military attacks.[6]
  • On 15th July 1990, Shanmugam who was a native of Kalmunai, was shot dead by members of the Jihad group.[17]
  • On 19 July 1990, Three Tamil civilians were killed near Navithanveli while on their way to their fields by members of the Jihad organization. According to the report, the victims are Karuvalthambi (from Savalakkadai), Ananthan (from Savalakkadai), Pushparaja (from Navithanveli).[18]
  • It was reported on 26 July 1990, members of the Jihad group were murdering Tamil civilians and Muslim elders who had publicly supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A 45-year-old trader, I. Ibrahim, who fled the area surrounding Trincomalee town and travelled through the forests to reach the North, stated on the 7th July 1990, the group surrounded his home because he had recently expressed patriotic views. He witnessed his neighbor being tortured before managing to escape. The Jihad members then set fire to his house and large stock of merchandise. He further stated that individuals operating under the Jihad banner attacked and looted local residents, including his relatives, with the protection of the Sri Lankan Army.[4]
  • On 30 July 1990, Fifteen Tamil refugees were hacked to death from a camp in the Pottuvil area by members of the Jihad group.[19]
  • It was reported on 23 September 1990, 54 Tamils, including women and children, were killed in two incidents in Batticaloa District on the preceding Thursday and Friday. It reports that the Islamic militant organization killed 19 Tamils, including six women, in Pudukudiyiruppu, Thalanguda, and Kannanguda. However, the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry reported a lower figure of 12 deaths and 10 injuries, describing the incident as a clash between Tamils and Muslims. All Indian radio, citing official sources, reported that 20 extremists entered the villages on Friday night, abducted Tamil residents, and later killed them on the seashore.[20]
  • It was reported on 20 April 1994, the Eravur Police arrested 2 individuals suspected of attempting to shoot and kill the Chairman of the Eravur Pradeshiya Sabha. Weapons were recovered during the arrests, and the 2 suspects were said to belong to the Jihad group.[21]

Relationship with Pakistan and LTTE Geneva Report

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On 12 March 2006, Virakesari reported that the Jihad group was operating as a separate armed unit in parts of Trincomalee District under the direct supervision of intelligence officers from the Sri Lankan armed forces.[2] Citing diplomatic sources, the article stated that the LTTE had presented a dossier during talks held in Geneva concerning five major Sri Lankan paramilitary organizations, including the Jihad group.[2][9]

The report stated that prominent Jihad members had been taken to Pakistan under the pretext of receiving Islamic religious education and had received weapons training at camps operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba in mountainous areas of Pakistan.[2][22]

It also claimed that a senior Pakistani intelligence officer, who later served as a diplomat, had organized the training. The report linked the diplomat to the deployment of Pakistani intelligence personnel to the Jaffna Peninsula and to arrangements concerning a planned visit to Pakistan by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It further stated that the diplomat had previously served in London and had been brought to Sri Lanka during Chandrika Kumaratunga’s administration through Rajapaksa’s influence.[2]

The report identified Noordeen Nizam, Noordeen Sharom, Basheen Sharom, and Gunesh Najeem as leaders of the group operating in Trincomalee. It stated that similar groups had operated in Mutur, Kinniya, Thoppur, Oddamavadi, Eravur, Kattankudy, and Akkaraipattu. These groups were involved in clashes, grenade attacks, shootings, threats, and intimidation.[3]

On 19 March 2006, Thinakural reported the Jihad group distributed leaflets in Oddamavadi and Eravur demanding the closure of video shops and warning residents against gambling and alcohol consumption. The group opened fire on gamblers in 2005 and threatened businesses in Eravur, Oddamavadi, and Valaichchenai.[3] The article also linked the group to Tamil and Muslim clashes in Akkaraipattu, Ampara District in 1985 and 1990.[3]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "ஜிஹாத் இயக்கம் தடைசெய்யப்பட்டது. ஈரோஸ் நடவடிக்கை" (PDF). Uthayan. 22 January 1987.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "புலனாய்வு பிரிவின் நெறிப்படுத்தலில் திருகோணமலையில் ஜிகாத்குழு". Virakesari. 12 March 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "முஸ்லிம் ஆயுதக் குழுக்கள் தொடர்பில் 'பவ்ரல்' அமைப்பு வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கை". Thinakural. 19 March 2006.
  4. 1 2 "விடுதலைப்புலிகளுடன் தொடர்பான முஸ்லிம்கள் ஜிகாத்தால் கொலை" (PDF). Eelanatham (ஈழநாதம்). 26 July 1990. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 "தமிழர்‌ மீது ஜிகாத்‌ தாக்கு" (PDF). Eezhanatham (ஈழநாதம்). 8 July 1990. p. 1.
  6. 1 2 "கிழக்கு தமிழரை அழிக்க ஆயுதக் குழுக்கள்! நூற்றுக்கணக்கானோரைக் காணவில்லை!" (PDF). Uthayan. 10 July 1990. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "வாழைச்சேனை - பேய்த்தாளை அகதி முகாம் தமிழரை அச்சுறுத்தும் முஸ்லிம் குழு!" (PDF). Uthayan. 20 July 1992. p. 1.
  8. 1 2 "ஜிகாத் தை தொடங்க முஸ்லிம்கள் ஆதரவாம்: மாத இதழ் கருத்துக் கணிப்பு" (PDF). Uthayan. 14 November 1992. p. 1.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Army plans new Muslim unit amid militancy furore". TamilNet. 28 March 2006. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  10. 1 2 "போராளிகளுக்கு எதிராக ஜிஹாத் இயக்கம் திருப்பப்பட்டது. கைதான ரம்சீன் நேற்று செய்தியாளர் மாநாட்டில் தகவல்" (PDF). Uthayan. 22 January 1987.
  11. ↑ "முஸ்லிம் ஒருவரின் வீட்டிலிருந்து வாழைச்சேனையில் ஆயுதங்கள் மீட்பு" (PDF). Uthayan. 21 January 1994. p. 1.
  12. 1 2 "கிழக்கில் உதயமாகிறது சிறிலங்கா இராணுவத்தின் உத்தியோகபூர்வ "ஜிகாத்" குழு!". Puthinam. 28 March 2006.
  13. ↑ "New Muslim battalion amid militancy furore | Tamil Guardian". www.tamilguardian.com. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  14. ↑ "கல்முனையில்‌ தமிழர்‌ படுகொலை 75ஆக உயர்வு" (PDF). Eezhanatham (ஈழநாதம்). 28 June 1990. p. 1.
  15. ↑ "100 தமிழர்கள் கைது" (PDF). Eezhanatham (ஈழநாதம்). 1 July 1990. p. 1.
  16. ↑ "சேனைக்குடியிருப்பில் பல வன்செயல் சம்பவங்கள்" (PDF). Uthayan. 20 July 1990. p. 4.
  17. ↑ "சுட்டுக்‌ கொலை!" (PDF). Uthayan. 21 July 1990. p. 2.
  18. ↑ "3 தமிழர்‌ வெட்டிக்கொலை" (PDF). Uthayan. 19 July 1990. p. 3.
  19. ↑ "15 தமிழர் வெட்டிக்கொலை?" (PDF). Uthayan. 4 August 1990. p. 6.
  20. ↑ "மட்டக்களப்பில் தொடரும் தமிழர் இனப்படுகொலை! பெண்கள், குழந்தைகள் உட்பட 54 பேர் இரு சம்பவங்களில் பலி!" (PDF). Uthayan. 23 September 1990. p. 1.
  21. ↑ "ஏறாவூரில் இரு முஸ்லிம்கள் ஆயுதங்களுடன் கைது" (PDF). Uthayan. 20 April 1994. p. 1.
  22. ↑ "'An alarming development' | Tamil Guardian". www.tamilguardian.com. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
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