Indian government declares 18 terrorist under UAPA

The Government of India has declared 18 more terrorists as terrorists under the amended Anti-Terrorism Act passed by the Parliament last year. All these terrorists are in the shelter of Pakistan.

In August 2019, the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (UAPA) amended the UAPA Act to declare a person a terrorist. Before this amendment, only organizations could be declared as terrorist organizations.

The list of terrorists announced this time by the central government includes Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin, Indian Mujahideen founder Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, along with gangster Dawood Ibrahim's close heir Chhota Shakeel. Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar, who hijacked an Indian Airlines aircraft in 1999, have also been included in this list of terrorists. The name of Riyaz Ismail Shahbandari alias Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Mohammad Iqbal alias Iqbal Bhatkal who formed the Indian Mujahideen are also included in this list.

Both these terrorists were involved in several terrorist activities including German Bakery (2010), Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore (2010), Jama Masjid (2010), Sheetlaghat (2010) and Mumbai (2011) attacks.

The Ministry stated, 'Expressing a commitment to strengthen national security and a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, the government has declared eighteen more persons as terrorists under the provisions of the UAPA Act 1967 (as amended in 2019).