Af-Pak based group to send its fighters to carry out attacks

Within a week after the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, the security agencies here have warned that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) operatives based in Afghanistan-Pakistan region are coordinating with India-based associates to carry out attacks in India through IEDs and vehicle-borne IEDs.

In a worrying trend, the ISKP has also planned to send its fighters to India to carry out the attacks.

The range of targets includes right-wing leaders, Hindu leaders, security forces, convoys, places of high footfalls and religious congregations. In addition, the group has also planned to hit highways and railways infrastructure.

The August 21 advisory has been circulated to stakeholders comprising the paramilitary forces and police administration to take preventive and precautionary measures to thwart such illicit designs of the jehadis.

The genesis of the security alert is the intelligence inputs and disclosures made by the ISIS operatives arrested from Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka, who have indicated continued intent on part of the Islamic State terrorists to carry out attacks in India.

As late as July-August 2021, AF-Pak-based operatives planned to carry out terror attacks in India through IEDs/VBIEDs/suicidal attacks/target killings, a senior officer quoted from the alert.

The inputs further indicate that the Islamic State operatives based in Af-Pak region are coordinating with their cohorts based here for furthering their nefarious anti-India agenda.

The ISKP operatives have assured their Indian associates to provide funds for procuring Kalshnikov assault rifles, small arms, making of IEDs and preparations for attacks as part of Islamist terror agenda.

Recent busting of ‘Voice of Hind’ network of the ISIS in Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka also indicates that the Pakistan-based remnants of Indian Mujahideen may have been in contact with IS operatives in India and Af-Pak region.

While the alert has not pinpointed the specific targets and locations, intelligence assessments suggest that the Indian Mujahideen operatives based in Pakistan may be a part of the IS network planning for attacks in India with active connivance and backing from the Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

According to the inputs, ISIS and its associates have planned to carry out attacks at locations that will attract immense public attention, including Hindu temples, religious gatherings, western interests, security forces, public places, religious gatherings and events likely to witness high footfalls, especially those thronged by foreigners.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State Wilayah Hind (ISHP), an offshoot of ISIS, has in its propaganda magazine ‘Voice of Hind’ underscored that the terrorists cadres should find out the vulnerabilities of the road and railway networks. The terror propaganda magazine also outlined in detail the possibility of attacks on the Indian road and railways network.

The magazine further advised the Ansar of Khilafah (terrorists) to either perpetrate the attacks as lone wolf attack or in batches after selecting the targets after reconnoitering, pursuing and ambushing the targets.

It has also advised to target individuals of worth, pilgrims or anything which caters to jihadist agenda. To hit the rail network, it has suggested blowing up tracks on the weakest point of the network moments before their scheduled arrival at a railway station besides hitting luxury/business trains commuting the elites.