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

NEW AG EN T S OF GLOB AL JIHAD
Below, the key areas of concern for South Asia as IS expands its global
influence will be outlined. As noted above, particular attention will be paid
to the relationship between Al-Qaeda and IS, and the implications of this
shifting balance of power for the greater South Asia region. This section will
also introduce Al-Qaeda’s affiliate group, Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent
(AQIS).
1. IS is challenging AQ’s presence as the architects of global jihad:
AQ has a historical and territorial advantage in South Asia, but this
has not discouraged IS’ efforts in the region.
IS recruiters hailing from the Middle East are focusing more on
recruiting Pakistani fighters for the war in Syria and Iraq. Local
sources in Peshawar say IS started recruitment in Pakistan in 2012
even before they emerged as IS themselves, and more than 200
fighters have left from Pakistan to join IS. Most of these fighters
were from the Pakistani Taliban, LeJ, and other militant groups,
who went to fight Bashar al Assad in Syria, and eventually joined
IS. 60
A worrying number of home-grown Afghan and Pakistani militants
are beginning to operate locally under the IS brand. The first to
pledge allegiance to IS was former Guantanamo detainee Abdul
Rahim Muslim Dost, and he continues to work as a recruiter and
propagandist. He is currently described as leader of IS affiliates in
Afghanistan.
There is now a leadership council, or Shura, for IS Khorosan
Province (ISKP) (Khorosan referring to both Afghanistan and
Pakistan) that was established in January 2015 by a group of
former TTP commanders, including their former spokesman
Shahid Shahidullah. However, the Shura’s power over regional IS
affiliates in questionable.
Recently, Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost warned that the Taliban
fought on behalf of ISI, and he issued a warning to those seeking to
fight IS 61 . However, he isn’t known to be a member of the ISKP
Shura. An IS spokesman officially recognized the group and its new
Emir, Hafiz Saeed Khan, another ex-TTP fighter. However, the
Shura itself now contains a mix of ex-TTP and Afghan Taliban 62 .
Shahidullah has announced that all IS’s regional affiliates, including
Dost, had consented to the Shura’s leadership.
ISKP has had setbacks; it lost its deputy emir to a UAV strike in
March, and a month later it lost that deputy’s replacement 63 . It is
not known if the Shura has links to other self-declared IS affiliates,
such as TTP splinter Jundullah, which declared allegiance last
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