ISIL-K seeks to recruit lone actors through India-based handlers: U.N. report

UN report warns of ISIL-K recruitment in India, increased collaboration among terrorist groups, and evolving threat landscape.

Terror group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant — Khorasan (ISIL-K) seeks to recruit lone actors through their handlers based in India, despite not being able to conduct large-scale attacks in the country, a U.N. report has said.

The 34th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team about ISIL (Da’esh), al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities, released in United Nations on July 30, said that member states registered ongoing concern that terrorism emanating from Afghanistan will be a driver of insecurity in the region and further afield in most scenarios.

“Despite not being able to conduct large-scale attacks in India, ISIL-K seeks to recruit lone actors through their India-based handlers and released a booklet in Urdu magnifying Hindu-Muslim antagonism and outlining its strategy as regards India,” the report said.

It also said that ISIL-K remains the most serious threat in the region, projecting terror beyond Afghanistan, while “al-Qaeda exercises strategic patience”, prioritising its relationship with the Taliban.

It further said there is increased support and collaboration between Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan (TJP).

“Therefore, TTP could transform into an umbrella organisation for other terrorist groups. In the medium term, a potential merger of TTP and AQIS could escalate the threat against Pakistan, and eventually India, Myanmar and Bangladesh,” it said.

It added that despite Taliban attempts to exercise control over al-Qaeda, greater collaboration among al-Qaeda affiliates and TTP could transform the latter into an “extra-regional threat”.