Harakat Ansar Iran
Sunni militant organization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harakat Ansar Iran (Persian: حرکت انصار ایران, lit. 'Movement of the Partisans of Iran')[1] was a Sunni militant organization active from 2012 to 2013 in the Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency. It is a designated terrorist organization by Iran and Japan.[2] It was one of two militant groups, along with its ally Jaish ul-Adl, which split from Jundallah after the arrest of its leader in 2010.[1]
| Harakat Ansar Iran | |
|---|---|
Harakat Ansar Iran | |
Leaders | Mohammad Shafi † Abu Hafs al Baloochi † |
| Dates active | 2012–2013 |
| Active regions | Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism anti-Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Wars | Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency |
Harakat Ansar was initially led by Mohammad Shafi who was killed in Pakistan. After his death, Hesham Azizi a.k.a. Abu Hafs al Baloochi became the leader.[3] According to Mashregh News, the group received support from Saudi Arabia and the Taliban.[4]
The group later dropped "Iran" from their name, calling themselves Harakat al-Ansar (Arabic: حرکة الانصار), which uses Arabic rather than the former Persian name. The group merged with Hizbul-Furqan and formed Ansar Al-Furqan in late 2013.[5]
