al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)[2] (Arabic language: جماعة قاعدة الجهاد في شبه القارة الهندية, Jamā‘at Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Shibh al-Qārrah al-Hindīyah, "Organisation of the Base of Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent") or Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent is an Islamist militant organization which aims to fight the Governments of Pakistan,[1] India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.[3]
On 3 September 2014, Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of al-Qaeda, announced the establishment of a new branch in the Indian subcontinent in a 55-minute video posted online.[4] During the announcement, Zawahiri stated that it had taken two years to gather various Jihadist factions into the new group, and introduced Asim Umar, a former commander in the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, as its Emir.[5] The announcement also introduced the group's spokesman, Usama Mahmoud, who praised militant commanders like Amjad Farooqi, Ilyas Kashmiri and Hassan Ghul. Farooqi was killed by Pakistani security forces. Kashmiri and Ghul were killed by US drone strikes in Pakistan.[5]
Claimed and alleged attacks[]
The group took responsibility for the 2 September 2014 assassination of Brigadier Fazal Zahoor, a senior officer in the Pakistani Army, who was shot dead by men riding motorcycles.[6]
Spokesman Usama Mahmud claimed responsibility for a 6 September 2014 attack on a Naval dockyard in Karachi, reportedly carried out by former Pakistan Navy officers, who unsuccessfully tried to hijack a F-22P frigate. Three attackers were killed and seven were arrested by Pakistani forces.[7][8]
Pakistan
India
Bangladesh
Myanmar[1]
