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

NEW AG EN T S OF GLOB AL JIHAD
There are myriad ways in which jihadist organizations can retain some of
their original structure and character while under the banner of a would-be
caliphate creator. Militant groups may declare allegiance to their chosen
organization, while retaining the essence of their original organizational
identity, and indeed the power of their leaders.
While IS is powerfully challenging, or, arguably, has already taken Al Qaeda’s
crown as the architects of global jihad, Al Qaeda remains a significant entity
for militants who are globally aligning themselves with a choice between the
two. This report has illustrated that in South Asia, entrenched terrorist
groups have a historical, and in some ways a territorial, advantage. However,
this is unlikely to discourage IS’ efforts in the region in the future.
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