- The Centre declared 23 individuals as terrorists under the UAPA, the largest recent addition
- The move targets terror networks linked to JeM, LeT, and affiliates from Pakistan and PoK
- Key names include Masood Ilyas Kashmiri and Mohammad Mussadiq, linked to major terror attacks
The centre declared 23 more individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), making the largest addition to the list in recent times, as part of a bid to dismantle the terror infrastructure run by the Pakistan-based terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and their affiliate networks.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a set of notifications to include the names in the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA, that gives the government the power to declare people as terrorists if they indulge in any terrorist activity.
Sources said that this move comes in the backdrop of efforts to dismantle the network of leadership, recruitment and logistics run by terror outfits originating from Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir that have conducted attacks, infiltration of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, radicalisation of youth and terror funding.
One of the persons included in the list is Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, identified as a senior member of JeM, indulged in recruitment and training of terrorists and infiltration of terrorists into India. The notification identifies his involvement in the 2022 Sunjwan attack in Jammu.
Pursuing Modi Ji's vision of zero tolerance against terror, the MHA today declared 23 dreaded terror functionaries as terrorists under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
— गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) July 4, 2026
The designated terrorists are involved in anti-India activities, carrying out…
Mohammad Mussadiq, whom the government describes as a key JeM handler, is accused of overseeing infiltration operations and coordinating terrorist activities from across the border. Authorities have also linked him to the Sunjwan attack and alleged that he used social media platforms to recruit individuals for terror activities.
Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan too is on the list and is identified by the government as a launching commander of JeM terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. He is accused of being one of the masterminds of the 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack in which seven soldiers were killed.
Abdullah Jehadi, another JeM terrorist, is accused of managing terror camps and infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. Government accuses him of the Nagrota attack and other terror attacks.
There are several Lashkar e Taiba members added in the list as well. This includes Firdous Ahmad Bhat, who is accused of being a launching commander facilitating movement of foreign terrorists into India and supplying arms and ammunition. Currently based in Pakistan, Haroon Rashid Ganai is accused of recruiting youth for terror ranks and arrangement of weapons for attacks in India.
In the list, the government has identified Bilal Ahmad Mir, Abid Quyoom Lone, Nazir Ahmed Gujjar, Abdul Rauf, Ashfaq Ahmad, Owais Farooz and others for participating in terror conspiracies, terror financing, providing logistic support and helping executing the attacks.
The list of 23 new terrorists designated as terrorists are:
- Masood Ilyas Kashmiri
- Mohammad Mussadiq
- Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan
- Hafiz Abdul Shakoor
- Abdullah Jehadi
- Firdous Ahmad Bhat
- Ghulam Fareed
- Bilal Ahmad Mir
- Abid Quyoom Lone
- Nazir Ahmed Gujjar
- Abdul Rauf
- Ashfaq Ahmad
- Hafiz Khalid Waleed
- Maulana Saifullah Khalid
- Mohammad Yaqoob
- Molana Yousaf Taibi
- Owais Farooz
- Qari Yaqub Sheikh
- Rana Iftikhar
- Waseem Noor Jat
- Mohammed Shaheed Faisal
- Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki
- Haroon Rashid Ganai
This move is part of the overall strategy of the government to target not only the terror groups, but the individuals behind the recruitment, finance, training and operational networks of these groups. Following the amendments to the UAPA, which came into force in 2019, the Centre has frequently made use of this law to designate individual terrorists.
Security sources say that most of those included in the list of notifications have been functioning from Pakistan or Pakistan occupied Kashmir and have been playing crucial roles in maintaining the terror infrastructure of these groups against India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
