Al Qaeda in Kashmir
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JUL 19
2019
JUL 19
2019
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Al Qaeda
video a desperate attempt to revive dying Kashmir militancy
Al Qaeda video a desperate
attempt to revive dying Kashmir militancy
Analysts state that old and
frail al-Zawahiri is in Pakistan and may be availing of facilities provided by
the ISI, which is worried that insurgency in Kashmir is dying down after
Operations All Out, Cordon and Search and Sarp Vinash. In the first five months
of 2019, Indian security forces have successfully eliminated 101 terrorists,
including 23 foreigners and 78 locals, writes J K Verma for South Asia Monitor
By J K Verma JUL
19, 2019
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Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson for India's Ministry of
External Affairs, commenting on the latest video issued by al Qaeda chief Ayman
al-Zawahiri, rightly stated on July 11 that Indian security forces are capable
of safeguarding the country;s sovereignty and territorial integrity against any
attack. He also stated that India had received such threats in the past and
those threats were successfully countered; hence there was no need to take
these threats seriously. The al Qaeda, he said, is a terrorist organisation
proscribed by the United Nations and its leaders are designated as terrorists
by the UN.
Al-Zawahiri
became chief of al Qaeda after the terrorist group’s founder, Osama bin Laden,
was killed in Pakistan in May 2011 by Navy SEALs of the United States Naval
Special Warfare Development Group in Operation Neptune Spear. Recently, a video
by al- Zawahiri was posted on As-Sahab channel, which is al Qaeda’s in-house
production channel, used to communicate its views to the world.
In the video
entitled “Don’t Forget Kashmir,” al-Zawahiri said the Mujahideen in Kashmir
should make concerted attacks on the Indian army and government “so as to bleed
the Indian economy and make India suffer sustained losses in manpower and
equipment.” Al Zawahiri, who is from Egypt and carries a reward of $ 25 million
on his head, also said in the video that Mujahideen should communicate with
other Muslims of the world.
Thomas
Joscelyn, in an article in the Long War Journal, states that al Qaeda is
fuelling terrorism in the Valley and instigating the youth to wage jihad
against Indian security forces. Al Qaeda, which in the past eulogised Zakir
Musa, founder of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), showed photographs of Zakir Musa,
Burhan Wani and Afzal Guru in the video. Musa was killed in an encounter in
Tral on May 23, 2019 by Indian security forces. Analysts feel that al Qaeda and
AGH are cooperating with each other in their fight against Indian forces in
Kashmir. The video of al- Zawahiri is likely to help Abdul Hameed Lelhari, present
chief of AGH.
The video
also criticises Pakistan and says fighters should “liberate the Kashmiri Jihad”
from the control of intelligence agencies of Pakistan, who are international
criminals. Mujahideen should fight to liberate Kashmir and their jihad should
be in the name of Allah and should take decisions on the basis of Sharia. The
video, in Arabic, also says the Pakistan government and army are “toadies of
America” and they prevented Arab Mujahideen from liberating Kashmir after
throwing Russians out of Afghanistan. The video clearly mentions the
involvement of Pakistan and its intelligence agencies, although Islamabad
always claims it is not involved in terrorist activities in India. The
14-minute video also sees al-Zawahiri saying all Muslims must assist jihad in
Kashmir, the Philippines, Chechnya, Central Asia, Iraq, Syria, the Arabian
Peninsula, Somalia, the Islamic Maghreb and Turkistan.
Analysts
state that old and frail al-Zawahiri is in Pakistan and may be availing of
facilities provided by the ISI, which is worried that insurgency in Kashmir is
dying down after Operations All Out, Cordon and Search and Sarp Vinash. In the
first five months of 2019, Indian security forces have successfully eliminated
101 terrorists, including 23 foreigners and 78 locals. According to statistics
of the Ministry of Home Affairs, infiltration in 2019 declined 43%, local
Kashmiris joining terrorist outfits came down 40 %, while 22% more terrorists
were killed in 2019.
Besides
elimination of terrorists, security forces have also launched operations Calm
Down and ‘Sadbhavana’ (goodwill). These operations are aimed at winning the
hearts and minds of local Kashmiris. Hence, the possibility that the ISI forced
al-Zawahiri to issue the video cannot be ruled out, even though it criticised
Pakistan and its intelligence agencies. That may have been done so no suspicion
falls on ISI. The rogue intelligence agency curbs influence of al Qaeda and
Islamic State in Pakistan, but assists these terrorist outfits in India. The video
may be an effort to unite diverse terrorist groups and disgruntled terrorists.
The video
might be an effort by al Qaeda to increase its influence, which is fast
diminishing due to the rising influence of Islamic State. IS has already
created 'provinces' of support in India and Pakistan. The Islamic State of
Khorasan Province (ISKP) is gaining support among disillusioned Muslim youths.
In 2014, al-Zawahiri also formed al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS)
but could not enhance its influence, hence the al Qaeda chief issued this
video to augment its sway.
However, the
security forces are doing a good job not only in the Valley but also in
handling Left Wing Extremism quite effectively. They should continue with their
pro-active policy of elimination of terrorists and should try to win the hearts
of local Kashmiris, while revoking Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution.
The vigil at the border should also be enhanced and more electronic gadgets
should be used to check infiltration.
(The author
is a New Delhi-based strategic analyst. He can be contacted at
jai_pushpa@hotmail.com)
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