US designates Indian Mujahideen as a terrorist organisation

WASHINGTON: The US today slapped sanctions on India-based terrorist group Indian Mujahideen ( IM) by designating it as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and said it has significant links with Pakistan-based groups like the LeT.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slapped sanctions on the organisation. The State Department said IM maintains close ties to other US- designated terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI).

"IM's stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective - an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia," it said.

IM is responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

"These designations highlight the threat posed by IM not only to Western interests, but to India, a close US partner. The Indian populace has borne the brunt of IM's wanton violence and today's actions illustrate our solidarity with the Indian Government," stated Daniel Benjamin, the Department of State's Coordinator for Counter terrorism.

These designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism.

The State Department said, IM's primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximise terror and casualties.