Explained: What Is Pakistan-Based Al Qaeda's Brigade 313 And Why Is It Back In Focus?
Brigade 313: The group functions not as a single organisation but as a coalition of jihadists, including defectors from the Pakistani military and intelligence services.
A recent question posed to former Pakistani envoy Sherry Rehman by a Sky News journalist reignited interest in Brigade 313, a shadowy terror unit operating under the umbrella of Al Qaeda. Sherry Rehman acknowledged the group's violent past as she referred to a 'digital dossier" saying, 'I don't know who told you this, but I can produce any number of pages saying all this."
'Most of the analysts you're quoting are aligned with India's narrative. They only tell India's story," she further said, rejecting claims about Brigade 313's Al Qaeda links.
What Is Brigade 313?
Brigade 313 is the operational arm of Lashkar al-Zil (Arabic for 'Shadow Army"), Al Qaeda's paramilitary wing. It functions not as a single organisation but as a coalition of jihadists, including defectors from the Pakistani military and intelligence services.
While most active along the Afghan-Pakistani border, Brigade 313 has also outsourced attacks to proxy outfits such as The Resistance Front (TRF) and People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF). TRF was behind the April 2022 Pahalgam terror attack.
Why Is It Called Brigade 313?
The group's name refers to the 313 soldiers who, according to Islamic tradition, fought alongside Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of Badr. Brigade 313 draws its cadre from various banned militant outfits, including the Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jundallah.
The group was founded by Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani Special Services Group (SSG) commando turned jihadist. He was also a senior leader of HUJI and a key commander in Al Qaeda's military hierarchy.
Ilyas Kashmiri was implicated in multiple terror plots across Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and even the United States, including the 2009 New York subway plot involving Najibullah Zazi and a plan to attack the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper. He was designated a global terrorist by the US and the United Nations before being reported killed in a US drone strike in 2011. After his death, leadership reportedly passed to a commander known as Shah Sahib.
What Attacks Has Brigade 313 Been Linked To?
Brigade 313 has executed or supported numerous high-profile attacks including:
2003: Attempted assassination of Pakistan's then-president Pervez Musharraf.
2008: Killing of Maj Gen Faisal Alvi, an SSG officer who threatened to expose links between the Taliban and Pakistan's military elite.
2009: Attack on Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, killing 17.
2009: Suicide bombing in Afghanistan's Khost province targeting US assets.
2011: Attack on Pakistani Naval Base in Karachi, killing 14 in retaliation for the death of Osama bin Laden.
Is Brigade 313 Linked To Pakistan's Military And Intelligence Services?
While Pakistan has officially distanced itself from the group, analysts say Brigade 313 continues to function discreetly while maintaining ideological loyalty to Al Qaeda.
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