U.N. report flags Islamic State threat in Karnataka, Kerala

The group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan.

The flag of Islamic State. File

A U.N. report on terrorism has warned that there are “significant numbers” of Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka, noting that the al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terror group is planning attacks in the region.

The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the IS, the al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities said that the AQIS operates under the Taliban umbrella from the Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.

Report on al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent’s growing influence alarmist: official

AQIS threat

The group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan. The current leader of the AQIS is Osama Mahmood , who succeeded the late

Asim Umar .

The AQIS is reportedly planning retaliation operations in the region to avenge the death of its former leader, the report said.

According to the report, one member state reported that the IS Indian affiliate (Hind Wilayah), which was announced on May 10, 2019, has between 180 and 200 members .

The report added that there are significant numbers of IS operatives in Kerala and Karnataka.

IS attacks

In May last year, the terror group (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) claimed to have established a new “province” in India , the first of this kind of announcement that came after clashes between militants and security forces in Kashmir.

The dreaded outfit, through its Amaq News Agency, had said that the Arabic name of the new branch is “Wilayah of Hind” (India Province).

A senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer had rejected the claim.

Previously, the IS attacks in Kashmir were linked to its so-called Khorasan Province branch, which was set up in 2015 to cover “Afghanistan, Pakistan and nearby lands”.