Al Qaida aim to make India its focus sparks nationwide alert

The new outfit 'Qaedat al-Jihad' was launched to wage jihad in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar with the aim to establish a new caliphate in the region

Al Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri announces the formation of an Indian branch at an unknown location in this still from an undated handout video provided by SITE Intelligence Group on September 4

The Centre sounded a nationwide alert on Thursday afternoon after a video released by Al Qaida announced the intent to make the subcontinent, particularly India, its focus.

Al Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a 55-minute video posted online on Wednesday evening, announced the launching of an outfit, Qaedat al-Jihad, to wage jihad (a holy war fought by Muslims to defend Islam) in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar to establish a new caliphate (an area is ruled by a Muslim ruler) in the region.

Zawahiri named communally-sensitive Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Gujarat as the focus of future Al Qaida activities.

Government sources said the video could be Al Qaida’s effort to start a recruitment drive in India. The Centre asked state governments and security and intelligence agencies to take all precautionary steps. Agencies have been asked to monitor the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Students Islamic Movement of India.

The IM carried out a series of strikes across India between 2005 and 2008. It has been in disarray since the police and intelligence agencies neutralised many units in 2008. According to sources, Al Qaida could try to revive the IM through its links in Pakistan. Agencies have been asked to track recruitment grounds like Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and a few districts in Bihar.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval and Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Syed Asif Ibrahim held meetings with officials on Thursday. A preliminary assessment by the IB suggested the video genuine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed on the situation.

India is wary of Al Qaida starting its activities in Kashmir as the US withdraws its troops from Afghanistan. Agencies believe Al Qaida is trying to regain ground lost in recent months to the Islamic State, earlier ISIS, active in Iraq and Syria.

There have been reports of Muslim youths from India joining the Islamic State.

The video suggested that Al Qaida, while active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is now trying to expand its reach across the subcontinent. Zawahiri pledged renewed allegiance to Taliban chief Mullah Omar.

Zawahiri said the group would defend the "vulnerable in the subcontinent, in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir" and "your brothers in Qaedat al-Jihad did not forget you and they are doing what they can to rescue you from injustice, oppression, persecution, and suffering."

Myanmar has seen several riots between the majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in recent years, as has Assam between Bodos and Muslims. Jammu & Kashmir remains a trouble spot.

Zawahiri made two references to Gujarat. The state saw communal riots in February 2002 when Modi was the chief minister. Over 1,000 people were killed, the majority Muslims.

Home ministry officials said an assessment was being made about the presence of Al Qaida in the country. The IB was expected to send its report in a day or two, the officials added.

Zawahiri said the new outfit would be led by two militants from Pakistan. Terrorists recruited from Pakistan had carried out one of the last big terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008. As many as 166 and nine terrorists were killed. Abdul Kasab, the tenth terrorist who was caught, was hanged after a court trial in 2012.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government was prepared to counter any terror activity. Uttar Pradesh  Inspector-General (law and order) Amrendra Singh Sengar told reporters in Lucknow an alert had been sounded in all districts.