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2 clusters · 4 sources · 27 days · First seen · Last updated

AQIS expansion in the Indian Subcontinent

Overview

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been working to rebuild its operational capacity and expand its influence across India and the broader subcontinent. Intelligence officials report that the group has established approximately eight training bases in Afghanistan over the last three years, focusing on weapons, explosives, and modern technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence.

In India, the group has focused on digital radicalization to recruit young people, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala. To facilitate further expansion, AQIS is reportedly adopting a “pan-Islamist strategy” designed to build tactical ties across sectarian lines. This approach aims to encourage existing terror outfits to form splinter groups and seeks to avoid the direct sectarian opposition that hindered previous efforts. This strategy is intended to replicate a model used in Africa, contrasting with the more exclusionary tactics of the Islamic State.

Entities

Uttar Pradesh · Islamic State · Bangladesh · Islamic State Khorasan Province · India

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Al-Qaeda adopts pan-Islamist strategy to expand in India and subcontinent

    Al-Qaeda is adopting a pan-Islamist strategy via its AQIS arm to expand its footprint in India and the subcontinent by building tactical ties across sectarian lines.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    AQIS rebuilds operational capacity and expands digital recruitment in India

    AQIS is rebuilding operational capacity via training bases in Afghanistan and expanding digital recruitment and radicalization efforts targeting youth in Indian states like Uttar Pradesh.

Sources

bhaskarlive.in · gulfnews.com · sentinelassam.com · yespunjab.com