The Union home ministry on Wednesday declared Kashmir-born militant Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger as an individual terrorist under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Ahanger, also known as Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri, is currently based in Afghanistan and is one of the chief recruiters of the Jammu and Kashmir branch of the Islamic State, the ministry said in a notification.

The government alleged that Ahanger is working for “providing traction to militancy in Kashmir” and also identifying residents to join his terror network.

Born in Srinagar in 1974, Ahanger has been wanted in Jammu and Kashmir for more than two decades. The ministry said he has close contacts with Al- Qaida as well as other global terrorist groups and is engaged in restarting the Islamic State channels in India.

It also accused him of “planning terror related strategies in Jammu and Kashmir by building coordination channels between various terrorists groups”.

The notification read: “The Central Government believes that Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri is involved in terrorism and the said Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri is to be added as a terrorist under the said Act [UAPA].”

Aganger is the 49th person to be listed an individual terrorist in the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA, according to the home ministry’s notification.

Forty-two entities have been listed as terrorist organisations and 13 groups have been listed as unlawful associations under the Act.