Founded in 1993, Harkat ul-Ansar (HUA) was a nationalist terrorist group fighting to liberate Kashmir from Indian control with the ultimate goal of merging the territory with Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir (collectively known as Indian-controlled Kashmir) is the only state in India where the majority of the people are Muslims. <br /><p><br />The group was created, allegedly with the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as a result of the fusion of two terrorist groups that participated in the Afghan jihad, Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami and Harkat ul-Mujahideen. The Indian government also alleged that the ISI provided arms and training to the HUA. <br /><p><br />HUA tactics of choice included bombings, kidnappings, and armed attacks mainly directed at Indian security forces and civilians in Kashmir. In June 1994, members of the HUA uncharacteristically kidnapped two foreign tourists in Kashmir, supposedly to draw international attention to human rights abuses being committed by the Indian army. The hostages were released unharmed 17 days later.<br /><p><br />Some claim that HUA was the terrorist wing of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islami (JUI), a conservative Islamic political party in Pakistan. It is also suspected that al-Faran is an HUA front organization. In July 1995, al-Faran claimed responsibility for kidnapping six foreign tourists traveling in Kashmir. After the kidnappers' demand for the release of Kashmiri rebels in Indian custody was rejected, it emerged that two al-Faran commanders were also members of Harkat ul-Mujahideen.<br />

In 1997, the United States designed the HUA a terrorist organization, alleging that the group was associated with Osama bin Laden. After this development, the HUA split back into Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami and HUM, with the latter being cast as the new HUA. After the attacks of September 11th and the emergence of Pakistan as a key ally in the war on terror, HUA lost the support it was allegedly receiving from Pakistan and suffered the loss of much of its top leadership to other Kashmiri separatist organizations, including 313. As such, the HUA is no longer considered an active terrorist organization. However, violence continues in the region and former HUA members remain active within other groups. Thus, it is possible that the group could eventually re-emerge.