Jundallah (Iran)

Not to be confused with Jundallah (Pakistan).

Jundallah (Iran)
جندالله
Leaders
Dates of operation2003–2011
Active regionsSistan and Baluchestan Province
Ideology
Size700–2,000
AlliesAllegedly (see below):
Opponents Iran
Battles and wars
Designated as a terrorist group by Iran
 Japan
 New Zealand
 United Kingdom
 United States

Jundallah (Arabic: جندالله, lit. 'Soldiers of God'), also known as the People's Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI[1][2]), was a Sunni Salafi militant organization[3][4][5][6] based in Sistan and Baluchestan, a province in southeast Iran. The group shared its name with another Baloch group active in Pakistani Balochistan as part of the same insurgency, that claims to be fighting for the "equal rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran".[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

The organization was founded by Abdolmalek Rigi, an ethnic Baloch who was captured and executed at Evin Prison in Tehran in 2010.[9] It was believed to have between 700[7] and 2,000 fighters.[16] Jundallah commanders claim the group had killed up to 400 Iranian soldiers.[17]

Jundallah had been officially designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Japan,[18] New Zealand[19] and the United States.[20][21] The U.S. Department of State says, “Jundallah, which was designated as an FTO and SDGT in 2010, began using the new name Jaysh al-Adl and associated aliases in 2012.”[1][22] It has been linked to and taken credit for numerous acts of terror, kidnappings and the smuggling of narcotics. According to many sources, the group was linked to al-Qaeda.[23][24][25]

  1. ^ a b Pompeo, Michael R. "In the Matter of the Amendment of the Designation of Jundallah (and other aliases) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist". U.S. Office of the Federal Register. State Department. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019. I have concluded that there is a sufficient factual basis to find that Jundallah, also known as People's Resistances Movement of Iran (PMRI), also known as Jonbesh-i Moqavemat-i-Mardom-i Iran, also known as The Popular Resistance Movement of Iran, also known as Soldiers of God, also known as Fedayeen-e-Islam, also known as Former Jundallah of Iran, also known as Jundullah, also known as Jondullah, also known as Jundollah, also known as Jondollah, also known as Jondallah, also known as Army of God (God's Army), also known as the Baloch Peoples Resistance Movement (BPRM), uses the additional alias Jaysh al-Adl, also known as Jeysh al-adl, also known as Army of Justice, also known as Jaish ul-Adl, also known as Jaish al-Adl, also known as Jaish Aladl, also known as Jeish al-Adl, as its primary name.
  2. ^ Not to be confused with People's Mujahedin of Iran.
  3. ^ "Jaish ul-Adl new graduation ceremony in Sistan and Baluchestan". Islamic World News. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022. Jaish ul-Adl is a terrorist group in Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran and Balochistan province of Pakistan which founded after Jundallah terrorist group was destroyed by Iran's IRGC in 2011.
  4. ^ "Jaish al-Adl: shadowy Sunni extremists on Iran-Pakistan border". France24. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022. For a decade, Jundallah waged a deadly insurgency on civilians and officials in the restive southeast. Jundallah had been weakened since Iran executed its leader Abdolmalek Rigi in 2010 after capturing him in a dramatic operation.
  5. ^ Siddique, Abubakar (18 February 2019). "Shadowy Group Again Threatens Iran-Pakistan Relations". Rfe/Rl. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022. Jundallah was a predecessor to Jaish al-Adl but dissolved after the 2010 arrest and hanging of Rigi.
  6. ^ Mehdi, Khalaji. "Salafism as a National Security Threat for Iran". The Washington Institute. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Jundallah: Iran's Sunni rebels". Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera. 22 June 2010. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  8. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  9. ^ a b Hersh, Seymour (7 July 2008). "Preparing the Battlefield". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  10. ^ Aryan, Hossein (22 October 2009). "Iran Offers Short-Term Solutions To Long-Term Problems Of Baluch Minority". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Iran 'militant' claims US support". BBC News. 26 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  12. ^ "Profile: Iran's Jundullah militants". BBC News. 20 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  13. ^ "Trouble brewing in Iranian Balochistan". Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  14. ^ "AXS TV". Archived from the original on 6 January 2008.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference DRR2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Asia Times Online - South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan". Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ Massoud, Ansari (16 January 2006). "Sunni Muslim group vows to behead Iranians". Washington Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  18. ^ "ジュンダラ | 国際テロリズム要覧2021 | 公安調査庁". Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Lists associated with Resolution 1373". New Zealand Police. 20 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  20. ^ "US labels Iran's Jundallah a terrorist group". Dawn. 3 November 2010. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  21. ^ "US lists Iran group Jundullah as terrorists". BBC News. 3 November 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  22. ^ "US Re-Designates Iran Separatist Sunni Militant Group As 'Terrorist'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Former Pakistan general: US supports Jundullah terrorists in Iran". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  24. ^ "Free Article for Non-Subscriber". Stratfor. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  25. ^ Saleem Shahzad (20 July 2004). "The legacy of Nek Mohammed (part 1)". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)