New Delhi: Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS) has been using the war on Iran as a propaganda narrative to drum up recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir. The AQIS has named several countries, which it perceives as anti-Islam.
While naming countries such as India, the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, France and Spain as common enemies of Islam, the AQIS calls upon the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to unite. The terror group says that Kashmir should be the core theatre of Jihad. The youth should come together and begin the battle against these nations from Kashmir, it also said.
The AQIS runs an Urdu propaganda magazine, and in its March edition, it has laid out a detailed roadmap as to how the youth of Kashmir must prioritise religion over development. The terror group has also expressed anguish over the fact that the people of Kashmir did not protest or revolt enough after the Union Government decided to abrogate Article 370.
It details the Centre’s push to develop Jammu and Kashmir and adds that the youth should not be distracted or forget that religion is above everything else. An Intelligence Bureau official said that AQIS, since its inception in 2014, has failed to take off. The outfit was set up in Afghanistan with the primary intention of waging a battle in Jammu and Kashmir.
The outfit feels that the concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind, or the destruction of India, must start in Jammu and Kashmir. It also cites the Taliban example, which fought against global powers on several occasions. Kashmir must be the gateway to Jihad, and this movement must spread across India, the AQIS said.
An official said that AQIS has become desperate. It has set up its modules in many places, but they have not achieved the desired traction. It feels that it can exploit the war on Iran and project it as an anti-Islam campaign. This, it feels, will change the narrative in Jammu and Kashmir so that more youth take up arms.
AQIS, according to another official, wants to make Kashmir the centre for its activities. However, going by what the group has written in its propaganda magazine, it is clear that the outfit wants this movement to spread across the country.
On whether or not such a massive plan can be executed, officials say that it would be hard. However, what AQIS is trying to do is spread its propaganda. The idea is to constantly indulge in propaganda and hope that the same would gain traction among the youth, the official added.
Security agencies are closely monitoring the developments. What is being monitored in particular is the push that AQIS is trying to make in the debate around Article 370. An official said that post the abrogation of the Article, the agencies made immense efforts to ensure that violence does not break out. It was crucial to curb the separatist movement, which had haunted Jammu and Kashmir for several years. AQIS is trying to ensure that the separatist mentality comes back to the Union Territory, and hence the push to revive the debate around Article 370 is being made, officials say.
These terror groups have realised that reviving extremism and striking at Jammu and Kashmir at will are things of the past. Efforts are on in full swing to revive groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Valley. Since the reveal attempts have not had much success, attempts are being made to spread a false narrative and bring back the separatist mindset in Jammu and Kashmir, officials say.
(IANS)
