Narrative
Narrative of the Organization's History
Narrative of the Organization's History
Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations
Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics
First Attacks, Largest Attacks, Notable Attacks
Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences
Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps
Given that AQIS is an affiliate of AQ and was formed directly by AQ leader Aymenn al-Zawahiri, the ideology of the group is presumed to be similar to that of Al-Qaeda base, which espouses a Salafi-jihadist and vehemently anti-western philosophy.[28]
According to al-Zawahiri and Asim Umar, the goals of AQIS are to initiate violence against the U.S., free Indian Muslims from persecution, establish Shariah law across South Asia, revive the Islamic Caliphate in the Indian Subcontinent and defend Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban against foreign aggression.[29] In pursuit of these goals, the organization claims to have united the mujahedeen across the Indian Subcontinent into a single entity.[30] Many observers have also speculated that the group has another, tacit purpose: to send the message to the global jihadi community that AQ will not be eclipsed by the Islamic State (IS) and that rather than fight their fellow Muslims, the mujahedeen should unite together against the U.S. and the west.[31]
In June 2017, AQIS published a 20-page “Code of Conduct” which reiterated the group’s goals of attacking military targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The document called for the increase in attacks on soldiers and Americans operating in both Afghanistan and Pakistan[32] In November, the group released its video titled “What do we want to achieve?”, which cites that the group’s purpose was to “defend the Muslims of Pakistan, Kashmir, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar” from oppression and corruption.
AQIS has no recorded political activities.
Little is known about AQIS’s tactics, although it has vowed to target U.S. and U.S. aligned personnel in the Indian subcontinent, the secular governments of the region, and any who speak out against jihad or the establishment of Shariah Law in the Indian Subcontinent.[33] In a video released in November 2017, Mahmoud, the official spokesman for the group, explicitly listed the US as its primary target and India as its second target due to its corruption of Kashmir and its alliances with the US and Israel.[34]
Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.
September 2014: AQIS claimed responsibility for the assassination of Brigadier Fazal Zahoor, a senior official in the Pakistani army. (3 killed, 9 injured)[35]
September 6, 2014: AQIS militants attempted to attack several U.S. warships after hijacking a Pakistani military frigate. The attack failed and the hijackers were apprehended. (1 killed, 0 wounded)[36]
September 18, 2014: AQIS assassinated Dr. Mohammad Shkil Auj, who was a liberal scholar at the University of Karachi, where he was the dean of Islamic Studies. (1 killed, 0 wounded)[37]
February 26, 2015: AQIS militants killed Avijit Roy, an atheist Blangadeshi-American Blogger living in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Between February and August 2015, AQIS killed three other secular Bangladeshi bloggers. (4 killed, 0 wounded)[38]
April 15, 2016: AQIS claims responsibility for the murders of Xulhaz Mannan and tanay Mojumdar, editors of a LGBT magazine. They were hacked to death in Dhaka. This is the first instance of murder for reasons other than secularism. (2 killed, 0 wounded).[39]
January 8, 2017: Two AQIS militants conducted a grenade attack on the North Nazimabad Police Complex. (1 killed, 5 injured).[40]
In many of its press statements, AQIS has cited that is conducting jihad to protect Muslims in regions where they face oppression and corruption.[41]
AQIS has purportedly drawn fighters from a variety of Pakistani militant groups.[42] Although AQIS leadership has not named these groups explicitly, AQIS’s emir, Asim Umar, and its late shura council member Imran Ali Siddiqi were closely linked to Harakat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) before becoming AQIS leaders. In addition, Umar was a former commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban and the group allegedly has links to current TTP leadership.[43] AQIS is also connected to Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh, which some sources believe is an AQIS affiliate.[44] However, generally AQIS has had trouble recruiting support in Bangladesh because Hefazat e-Islam has largely monopolized the support of radicalized Bangladeshi Islamists and sworn to deprive AQIS of footholds in the country.[45]
AQIS has a close relationship with Al-Qaeda base, from which it is believed to receive most, if not all, of its funding and resources. Because of its affiliation with AQC, AQIS is assumed to have positive relations with AQ’s other affiliate organizations, although no proof of this has been discovered.[46] AQIS has also pledged allegiance to Omar Mullah, the former head of the Afghan Taliban.[47]
The establishment of AQIS also shows the emergence of competition between AQ and IS for recruits and influence over South Asia. The possibility of a turf battle and competition could result in a break-up of existing jihadist groups and the possible emergence of new groups.[48]
AQIS is believed to draw fighters from several Pakistani terrorist groups, many of which have cordial relationships with the Pakistani government. It is unknown whether AQIS has capitalized on or reestablished these ties.[49]
[1] Hasan, Syed Shoaib; Shah, Saeed; Siobhan Gorman. “Al Qaeda Militants Tried to Seize Pakistan Navy Frigate.” The Wall Street Journal. 16 Sept 2014. Web.
[2] Ali, Imtiaz. “AQIS involvement feared in North Nazimabad gun and grenade attacks.” The Dawn. 8 Jan. 2017. https://www.dawn.com/news/1307010.; Khan, Faraz. “One killed, five injured in grenade attack.” The Express Tribune. 18 Jan. 2018. Web.
[3] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[4] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[5] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[6] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[7] Mashal, Mujib; Shah, Taimoor; Nader, Zahra. “Taliban Name Lesser-Known Cleric as Their New Leader.” The New York Times. 25 May 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-new-le...
[8] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015
[9] North, Andrew. “Al Qaeda eyes India in jihadi battle of the brands.” BBC News. 4 Sept. 2014. Web.
[10] Reed, Alastair. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: A New Frontline in the Global Jihad Movement?” International Centre for CounterTerrorism- The Hague. ICCT Policy Brief. May 2015.
[11] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[12] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[13] “Al Qaeda’s Indian wing targets PM Narendra Modi, says he called for Muslims to be ‘burnt alive.’” Zee Media Bureau, 6 May 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
[14] Express Web Desk. “Al Qaeda calls for lone wolf attacks in India.” The Indian Express. 5 Jul. 2016. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/al-qaeda-calls-...
[15] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegian...
[16] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegian...
[17] BBC Monitoring. “Al Qaeda’s ‘Indian Subcontinent’ branch re-focuses on India, Bangladesh.” BBC News. 26 Nov. 2017. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c1dnqkka.
[18]Faber, Pamela G; Powell, Alexander. “Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS): An Al-Qaeda Affiliate Case Study. The CNA Corporation. 2017 October. https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/DIM-2017-U-016120-2Rev.pdf
[19]Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[20] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[21] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[22] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[23] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; “Two top leaders of Al Qaeda Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) nabbed.” Bdnews24, 2 July 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[24] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; “Two top leaders of Al Qaeda Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) nabbed.” Bdnews24, 2 July 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[25] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[26] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[27] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[28] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[29] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[30] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[31] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[32] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegian...
[33] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[34]BBC Monitoring. “Al Qaeda’s ‘Indian Subcontinent’ branch re-focuses on India, Bangladesh.” BBC News. 26 Nov. 2017. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c1dnqkka.
[35] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[36] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[37] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[38] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[39] McLaughlin, Eliott C; Melvin, Don; Ap, Tiffany. “Al-Qaeda group claims responsibility for Bangladesh LGBT hacking murders.” CNN. 27 Apr. 2016. https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/25/asia/bangladesh-u-s-embassy-worker-killed/
[40] Ali, Imtiaz. “AQIS involvement feared in North Nazimabad gun and grenade attacks.” The Dawn. 8 Jan. 2017. https://www.dawn.com/news/1307010.; Khan, Faraz. “One killed, five injured in grenade attack.” The Express Tribune. 18 Jan. 2018. Web.
[41] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[42] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[43] Basit, Abdul. “Asim Umar- ‘New Kid on the Block’?” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analysis. S. Rajarantnam School of International Studies. Vol 6, Issue 10. Nov. 2014. https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CTTA-November14.pdf
[44] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[45] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[46] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
[47] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
[48] Basit, Abdul. “Asim Umar- ‘New Kid on the Block’?” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analysis. S. Rajarantnam School of International Studies. Vol 6, Issue 10. Nov. 2014. https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CTTA-November14.pdf
[49] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.