south-asian-militant-groups-and-global-jihad-in-2015

NEW AG EN T S OF GLOB AL JIHAD
3. Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) operates through militants in
Pakistan’s tribal areas:
The group’s headquarters are located in Afghanistan, and they are
linked with the Taliban and AQ. Last September, leaders of IMU
reportedly announced that the group was joining IS. 42 However,
given a lack of IMU activity under the IS banner, and a later
declaration of IS allegiance by IS commanders, this is unlikely to be
a blanket policy for the movement 43 .
The IMU has conducted 9 attacks between 2000 and 2013, and they
often couple with Hizb-al-Tahrir-al-Islami in order to execute
attacks.
The number of fighters in IMU is unclear. With each consequent
reshuffle of leadership, members of IMU have left the movement
and partnered with groups in Afghanistan: some of them retain the
IMU name, others have mixed with the Taliban, the AQ or other
groups.
The group likely obtains its funds through drug trafficking. 44
4. The Afghan Taliban focuses on national rather than international goals,
and contrary to perceived wisdom, should not be characterized by its
conservatism alone:
The influence of AQ and that of “global jihad” has rubbed off on the
Taliban, which is now attempting to muster these narratives for
support in Islamist-nationalist goals. There are fears that the youth
will not succumb easily to the nationalist sentiments of
mujahedeen predecessors, particularly with glamorously radical
and globally oriented alternatives such as IS. 45
Despite the remaining international forces in Afghanistan, the
Taliban remains a highly active force that mounts attacks on a
regular basis. Having once condemned suicide bombing as un-
Islamic they have now embraced the technique and its
accompanying opportunities for propaganda. It is likely that this is
due to AQ influence. In the last few months, its forces may have
been boosted by foreign fighters from Chechnya and Central Asia.
Their territorial ambitions are not diminished, as was shown in a
June 6 th 2015 attack in which they overran Badakhshan Province 46 .
There are over 36,000 Afghan Taliban fighters. 47 These fighters are
led by the elusive Mullah Omar, who founded the Taliban from a
group of former mujahedeen-turned-vigilantes in the wake of the
Soviet withdrawal. The Taliban were eventually able to take over
the majority of the country thanks to their ability to restore order;
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