The Islamic State (ISIS) is fast emerging as the new choice of jihadist-leaning among the radicalised Muslim youth in India.
ISIS’ strategy of acquiring territory touted as the ‘caliphate’ gives it greater appeal than outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, reports The Times of India.
According to Indian intelligence sources, there is a trend of radicalised Muslims, who till recently gravitated towards Pakistan-based outfits or their Indian affiliates, looking at ISIS with favour.
Despite the fact that the Islamic State’s influence in the South Asian region is not as strong as in Syria, Indian agencies are not taking any chances and are keeping a strict eye on potential recruitments to the terror organisation.
The ISIS’ denunciation of Pakistan army as allied with America and its harsh and uncompromising interpretation of religious tenets threaten to do to Lashkar what the terror outfit did to its rivals: label it as a theologically suspect adjunct of the state lacking the will to recreate a 7th century caliphate.Excerpt from The Times of India Report
Top terror mastermind–LeT founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is also worried about the growing influence of ISIS.
The ISIS has in the past slammed Lashkar and other anti-India terror outfits as al-Qaeda allies who were “puppets in the hands of an apostate Pakistan army’, which prompted an appeal from JuD to engage in a global effort in dealing with ISIS.
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