The new players and leaders of Kashmir's struggle for independence are now the largest military force against the Indian government.
Syeed Salahuddin, whose real name is Syeed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, is the commander of the Hizbul Mujahedin. It receives financial backing and support from Pakistan. Pakistan's prime minister Benazir Bhutto wants the Muslim majority states of Jammu and Kashmir out of Hindu-dominated India and aligned with Pakistan. The rebels claim they are fighting for azad Kashmir, or free Kashmir. Currently, there are about 15,000 active rebel fighters with several subfactions among them. The rebels operate in small hit-and-run groups in cities like Srinagar, or from remote bases in Kashmir. Pakistan has fought two out of three of its last wars over Kashmir, and the situation is expected to remain tense for years to come. The geopolitical volleyball started when Britain sliced up India and Pakistan in 1947, based on geographic divisions rather than religious ones. At the time, India promised to hold a plebiscite among all Kashmiris to determine whether the territory should be part of India or Pakistan. It backed down, and the conflict has been going on ever since.
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