Ethnic and Political Armed Groups in India

Groups with branches in all states:

Communist Party of India-Maoist

Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)

Called Naxalites

Present in every state in India.

Sangam village militia

Weapons include hunting rifles, shotguns, INSAS assault rifles, bow and arrows, AK-47 assault rifles, explosives, improvised guns (tapancha), improvised rockets, Lee Enfield rifles, 1A SLR (FAL copy)

Equipment captured have included bullet proof vests, thermal image devices , radios, and night vision equipment.

Roadside bombs

Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML)

Around 8 Maoist groups operating in the state of Jharkhand

Marxist Communist Center (MCC)

Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC)

Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC)

Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI)

Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT)

Jan Sangharsh Mukti Morcha (JSMM)

Jharki and Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP)

Peoples War Group

Splinter group of the CPI-ML

In the State of Manipur

Kuki National Organization (KNO)

Kuki National Army (KNA)- Military wing 

Umbrella group for 11 different organizations. Seek to bring together all Kuki inhabited areas separated by artificial borders made in 1935.

KNO armed units were initially trained by members of the Kachin Independence Army in Myanmar.

Also operate in Myanmar.

Around 2,000 armed personnel.

Mostly Christian.

AK-47 assault rifles, M-16 assault rifles, G-3 assault rifles, 60mm mortars

Member groups include:
                                    Kuki Liberation Army (Khoibu and Maring)

                                    Kuki Revolutionary Army (Unification)

                                    United Komrem Revolutionary Army (UKRA)

                                    Zomi Defense Volunteers (ZDV)

                                    Zomi Revolutionary Front (ZRF)

                                    Kuki National Front- Military Council

                                    Kuki National Revolutionary Front (Zoguin)

                                    United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA)

                                    Kuki Liberation Army

Kuki National Army (KNA)- Military wing of KNO

Kuki Liberation Army-Part of the KNO. 

M-16 and AK-47 style assault rifles

                                    

Zomi Revolutionary Organization (ZRO)

Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA)

Seeks to unite the ethnic Zomi people in Myanmar(Chin state), in India (in Manipur and Mizoram), and in Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill area).

With the stated objective of defending and protecting the interests of the Zomi (Chin and Kuki) people.

AK-47 style assault rifles

M-16 style assault rifles

9mm pistols

Kanglei Yana Kan Lup (KYKL)

Also spelled Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup and Kanglei Yawal Kanna Lup

Kanglei Yana Kan Lup-Military Defense Force (KYKL-MDF)

Kuki National Front

United Kuki Liberation Army-Military Council (UKLA-MC)

Peoples United Liberation Front (PULF)

Revolutionary Government of Kukigam (RGOK)
Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)


United People Organization of Kukigam (UPOK)
United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA)

Peoples Liberation Front

Umbrella organization consisting of the Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), and the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF).

Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)

Red Army

About 500 members

May still have camps in Bangladesh

Part of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front

United National Liberation Front (UNLF)

Manipur Peoples Army (MPA)- Military wing.

Part of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front

About 2,000 members

Seeks a separate socialist Manipur.

Training camps have been found in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

River patrols and foot patrols in territory claimed by the UNLF.

Battalion 293

Weapons include M-16 assault rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, RPG-7 rocket launchers, mortars, 30mm multiple grenade launchers, sniper rifles, Bren machine gun

Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF)

Peoples Liberation Army- Military wing

Part of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front

About 3,800 members

Camps in Manipur

Camps have been found in Myanmar and Bangladesh

Seeks a separate socialist Manipur

Ties with the Maoist Communist Party of India.

Weapons include M-16 assault rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, sniper rifles

Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)

Kangleipak Fingang Lanmi (KFL)- Military wing

Seeks to unite all ethnic groups in Manipur under the communist banner.

Weapons include pistols, grenades

United Peoples Party of Kangleipak (UPPK)

Splinter group of PREPAK

United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF)
Kuki Army
Weapons include M-16 assault rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, M-79 grenade launchers, M-203 grenade launchers.

Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF)
Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)

Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF)

In the State of Assam

United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)

or Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF)

About 2,500 personnel in 3 battalions (7th, 28th, and the 709th)

AK-47 assault rifles, pistols, explosives

National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)

Bodoland Army

About 3,500 personnel

Many trained in secret camps in Bangladesh.

AK-47 assault rifles, M-16 assault rifles, explosives, grenades, RPG-7 rocket launchers, light machine guns.

National Democratic Front of Bodoland- Progressive (NDFB-P)

Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (surrendered in 2003)

Dima Halam Daogah- Jewel (DHD-J)

Composed of members of the ethnic Dimasa people. Seek a separate land for the Dimasa people.

Over 300 members surrendered in 2009.

RPG-7 rocket launchers, AK-47 style assault rifles, M-16 style assault rifles, pistols, hand grenades, explosives,

Dima Halam Daogah- Nunisa (DHD-N)

"Black Widow" splinter group of the DHD

In Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir have an Islamic majority. Most militants in Jammu and Kashmir are fighting for a separate Islamic nation.

Many Islamic militant groups operating in the Jammu and Kashmir region have training camps in Pakistan. Some are believed to be armed, trained and equipped by Pakistani intelligence. From the largest to the smallest, the Islamic groups operating  in Jammu and Kashmir enjoy a decent variety of Russian, Chinese, Pakistani and Indian small arms.

Hizb ul Mujahideen

Weapons include sniper rifles, RDX explosives, AK-74 assault rifles, RPG-7 rocket launchers, Type 56 assault rifles, hand grenades, pistols, under barrel grenade launchers, radios

Harkat ul Mujahideen (HuM)

Lashkar-e-Taiba

Also spelled Lashkar-e-Taiba or Lashkar-e-Tayyaba

Lashkar-e-Taiba is the armed wing of the Markaz al Dawa wal Irshad

Markaz al Dawa wal Irshad runs Islamic schools in Pakistan
Launches cross border attacks into India.

Lashkar-e-Taiba has training camps in Pakistan

Jaish-e-Mohammed

Al Badr

On December 13, 2001 five gunmen attack the Indian parliament building in New Delhi, killing

On November 26, 2008 gunmen rampage through the Indian city of Mumbai, killing

In Nagaland

National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM)

Seeks a separate socialist Nagaland

About 4,500 members

Camp Hebron near Dimapur

Nagalim (Naga land) includes part of Myanmar

The Naga people are mostly Christian

Weapons include AK-47 assault rifles, M-16 assault rifles, M-203 under barrel grenade launchers

 

National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khaplang (NSCN-K)

About 2,000 members

Khehoi Camp near Dimapur

Governemt of the Peoples Republic of Nagaland (GPRN)

Believed to have camps in Myanmar

National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khole Kitovi (NSCN-KK)

United Naga Peoples Council (UNPC)

Naga Republic Day on March 21st

In Punjab

Most militant groups in the Punjab region are Sikh nationalists who seek a separate seek homeland called Khalistan.

Khalistan means “Land of the Pure”.

Singh means lion. Many Sikh men have Singh or Lion in their name.

Babar Khalsa

Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)

Khalistan National Army

Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA)

Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF)

Dal Khalsa

Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)

Dashmesh Regiment (No longer active)

19 Indian military siege of the Golden Temple

June 22 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 by Sikh militants.

Sikh militants

In Tripura

Tripura Peoples Democratic Front (TPDF)
All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF)- Armed wing of the TPDF

About 600 members

Seek to expel all Bengali speaking immigrant settlers who entered Tripura after 1956. Seek a restoration of tribal lands.

National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)

In Mizoram

Bru National Liberation Front

Made up of the Bru (or Reang) ethnic group

Negotiating with the local Mizoram government?

Weapons include AK-47 assault rifles, hand grenades, bombs

Hmar Peoples Convention-Democracy

Seek a separate Hmar nation called Hmar Ram.

Weapons include AK-47 assault rifles, hunting rifles, explosives

Hmar National Army

United Peoples Front

In Meghalaya

Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)

A'chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)

Seek a separate state for the Achik (or Garo) people

Peoples Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M)

Seek a separate state for the Achik (or Garo) people

Hajong United Liberation Army (HULA)

Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA)
Operate in Garo Hills

In Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Dragon Force (ADF)

National Liberation Front of Arunachal

In West Bengal

Kamtapuri Liberation Organization (KLO)