MMP: Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

AQIS is an Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization based in Pakistan and operating in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

Key Statistics

2014

First Recorded Activity

2014

First Attack

2018

Profile Last Updated

Profile Contents

Overview

Narrative of the Organization's History

Overview Overview

Organization

Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations

Organization Organization

Strategy

Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets and Tactics

Strategy Strategy

Major Attacks

First Attacks, Largest Attacks, Notable Attacks

Major Attacks Major Attacks

Interactions

Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences

Interactions Interactions

Maps

Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time

Maps Maps

Contact MMP

Send a message to the Mapping Militants team.

mappingmilitants@lists.stanford.edu

How to Cite

Mapping Militant Organizations. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.” Stanford University. Last modified July 2018. https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/al-qaeda-indian-subcontinent-aqis

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Last updated July 2018

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Organizational Overview

Formed: September 3, 2014

Disbanded: Group is active.

First Attack: September 6, 2014: AQIS claimed responsibility for the assassination of Brigadier Fazal Zahoor, a senior official in the Pakistani army. (3 killed, 9 injured)[1]

Last Attack: January 8, 2017: Two AQIS militants conducted a grenade attack on the North Nazimabad Police Complex. (1 killed, 5 injured).[2]

Executive Summary

Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is an Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization founded on September 3, 2014 by Al Qaeda (AQ) leader Aymenn al-Zawahiri. The group is based in Pakistan but has threatened to also carry out operations in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. It has largely been unable to carry out large-scale attacks and struggled to attract support outside of Pakistan. Starting in 2015, the group began targeting secular activists and has since claimed responsibility for the murder of a number of secular bloggers, campaigners and publishers.

Group Narrative

Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is an Al Qaeda-affiliated militant organization founded on September 3, 2014.[3] The group’s formation was announced through a video released by Al Qaeda Central (AQC). Al Qaeda leader Aymenn al-Zawahiri declared that this new Pakistan-based AQ-affiliate would oversee expanding AQ operations in Pakistan as well as India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.[4] Zawahiri also pledged that the group aimed to recreate the Islamic caliphate that once stretched into these regions, which has led many analysts to attribute AQIS’s formation as an attempt by AQ to reclaim control of the Global Jihadi movement from the Islamic State (IS).[5] According to Zawahiri, AQIS is the culmination of an over two-year effort to “gather the mujahedeen in the Indian Subcontinent into a single entity.”[6] Included in the group’s ranks are Pakistani Taliban fighters who consider themselves loyal to both the Taliban and AQIS leadership.[7]

AQIS has largely been unable to gain traction outside of Pakistan. It has been largely unsuccessful in carrying out the large-scale attacks AQC leadership threatened. Although the group has carried out assassinations of Pakistani military officials and anti-Al Qaeda bloggers, it has yet to carry out a major attack on Indian soil.[8] The group has been unable to gain any traction in India, unlike its competitor in the region, IS.[9] Analysts note that the group is unlikely to gain serious traction in the region due to India’s democratic dispensation, unlike in other regions the group operates in. Additionally, there is an ideological disconnect within the Muslim population in India for the Wahhabi strand of Islam and little support for the establishment of a Caliphate.[10] The group has faced a different problem in Bangladesh, where the hardline Islamist terror group Hefazat e-Islam has monopolized control and has pledged to deny AQIS a foothold in the country.[11] U.S. drone strikes and the Pakistani military’s Operation Zard-e-Azb, which was launched in late 2014 to combat militant extremism in Pakistan’s tribal regions, have decimated AQIS’s ranks.[12] In May 2015, AQIS recaptured the international spotlight when it threatened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video it released via AQ’s publicity wing, As-Sahab.[13]

In 2016, the group released a series of violent messages prompting its followers to conduct attacks on individuals deemed “nonbelievers” of Islam. On July 4, 2016, Asim Umar, the leader of AQIS, released an audio message urging followers to “rise up and follow the example of lone world attackers in Europe.” More specifically, Omar called on Indian Muslims to target members of Indian law enforcement.[14] Several days later on July 14, AQIS released a message urging Kashmiri Muslims to carry out additional attacks using petrol bombs and other weapons to kill “Kufr” or nonbelievers.

In June 2017, AQIS published a 20-page “Code of Conduct” which reiterated the group’s goals of attacking military targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The document called for the increase in attacks on soldiers and Americans operating in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.[15] In addition, the “Code of Conduct” re-emphasized the group’s allegiance to Al-Qaeda Central and pledged allegiance to the leader of the Taliban, Omar Mullah. In Pakistan, AQIS prioritizes the targeting of American soldiers and aims for complete American withdrawal from the region.[16] In November of 2017, AQIS released a video highlighting the alleged repression of Muslims in South Asia; the video cited the group’s desire to target Indian state interests in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, specifically against the Pakistani military and government.[17] AQIS has yet to act on these declarations and has not conducted an attack since January 2017.

[1] Hasan, Syed Shoaib; Shah, Saeed; Siobhan Gorman. “Al Qaeda Militants Tried to Seize Pakistan Navy Frigate.” The Wall Street Journal. 16 Sept 2014. Web.

[2] Ali, Imtiaz. “AQIS involvement feared in North Nazimabad gun and grenade attacks.” The Dawn. 8 Jan. 2017. https://www.dawn.com/news/1307010.; Khan, Faraz. “One killed, five injured in grenade attack.” The Express Tribune. 18 Jan. 2018. Web.

[3] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[4] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[5] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[6] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[7] Mashal, Mujib; Shah, Taimoor; Nader, Zahra. “Taliban Name Lesser-Known Cleric as Their New Leader.” The New York Times. 25 May 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-new-l…

[8] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015

[9] North, Andrew. “Al Qaeda eyes India in jihadi battle of the brands.” BBC News. 4 Sept. 2014. Web.

[10] Reed, Alastair. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: A New Frontline in the Global Jihad Movement?” International Centre for CounterTerrorism- The Hague. ICCT Policy Brief. May 2015.

[11] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[12] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[13] “Al Qaeda’s Indian wing targets PM Narendra Modi, says he called for Muslims to be ‘burnt alive.’” Zee Media Bureau, 6 May 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

[14] Express Web Desk. “Al Qaeda calls for lone wolf attacks in India.” The Indian Express. 5 Jul. 2016. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/al-qaeda-calls…

[15] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegia…

[16] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegia…

[17] BBC Monitoring. “Al Qaeda’s ‘Indian Subcontinent’ branch re-focuses on India, Bangladesh.” BBC News. 26 Nov. 2017. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c1dnqkka.

Organizational StructureLeadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations

Leadership

Sheikh Asim Umar (September 3, 2014-Present): Umar, who is believed to be of Indian origin, has been the Emir of AQIS since its formation in 2014. Prior to this appointment, he reportedly served as the commander of the Pakistani Taliban (in the TTP) and as Al-Qaeda’s senior Sharia official in Pakistan. He had also previously been associated with several other jihadi groups, including Harkat-ul-Jihad-a-Islam (HuJI) and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM).[1]

Usama Mahmoud (September 3, 2014-Present): Mahmoud is the official spokesman of AQIS. He is believed to be of Pakistani descent.[2]

Ahmad Farouq (September 3, 2014-January 15, 2015): Farouq was the deputy Emir of AQIS prior to his death in a U.S. airstrike in North Waziristan, Pakistan on January 15, 2015. Farouq was an American citizen, who had studied at the International Islamic Institute in Islamabad before being named as the head of AQ’s preaching and media branch in Pakistan and eventually as the deputy Emir of AQIS.[3]

Qarri Imran (September 3, 2014-January 5, 2015): Imran was an AQIS Shura council member, where he headed the Khorasan committee before being killed by a U.S. drone strike on January 5, 2015.[4]

Imran Ali Siddiqi (September 3, 2014-October 11, 2014): Siddiqi, also known as Haji Walijullah, was active in Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) before becoming a member of AQIS’s shura council. He was killed on October 11, 2014 by a U.S. drone strike.[5]

Mawalana Mainul Islam (unknown-July 2, 2015): Mainul was the chief AQIS coordinator in Bangladesh. He and his chief advisor, Mawlana Zafar Amin, were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities on July 2, 2015.[6]

Mawlana Zafar Amin (unknown- July 2, 2015): Amin was the chief advisor to the AQIS coordinator in Bangladesh, Mawalana Mainul Islam. Both were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities on July 2, 2015.[7]

Shahid Usman (unknown-December 12, 2014): Usman is believed to have been one of the top AQIS commanders in Pakistan. Before joining AQIS, Usman was a member of the Pakistani terror group Harkat ul Jihad al Islami. He was captured by Pakistani authorities on December 12, 2014.[8]

[1]Faber, Pamela G; Powell, Alexander. “Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS): An Al-Qaeda Affiliate Case Study. The CNA Corporation. 2017 October. https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/DIM-2017-U-016120-2Rev.pdf

[2]Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[3] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[4] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[5] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[6] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; “Two top leaders of Al Qaeda Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) nabbed.” Bdnews24, 2 July 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[7] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; “Two top leaders of Al Qaeda Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) nabbed.” Bdnews24, 2 July 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[8] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

Name Changes

There are no recorded name changes for AQIS.

Size Estimates

There are no publicly available size estimates for AQIS.

Resources

AQIS is believed to receive its funding and other resources directly from AQ central. It has no known autonomous sources of revenue.[1]

[1] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Geographic Locations

Disclaimer: This is a partial list of where the militant organization has bases and where it operates. This does not include information on where the group conducts major attacks or has external influences.

According to Zawahiri, AQIS is comprised of various militant organizations originally from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and India. Although based in Pakistan, the group has threatened to undertake operations in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, in addition to in Pakistan.[1]

[1] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

StrategyIdeology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics

Ideology and Goals

Given that AQIS is an affiliate of AQ and was formed directly by AQ leader Aymenn al-Zawahiri, the ideology of the group is presumed to be similar to that of Al-Qaeda base, which espouses a Salafi-jihadist and vehemently anti-western philosophy.[1]

According to al-Zawahiri and Asim Umar, the goals of AQIS are to initiate violence against the U.S., free Indian Muslims from persecution, establish Shariah law across South Asia, revive the Islamic Caliphate in the Indian Subcontinent and defend Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban against foreign aggression.[2] In pursuit of these goals, the organization claims to have united the mujahedeen across the Indian Subcontinent into a single entity.[3] Many observers have also speculated that the group has another, tacit purpose: to send the message to the global jihadi community that AQ will not be eclipsed by the Islamic State (IS) and that rather than fight their fellow Muslims, the mujahedeen should unite together against the U.S. and the west.[4]

[1] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[2] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015; Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[3] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[4] Barry, Ellen. “Al Qaeda Opens New Branch on Indian Subcontinent.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[5] Joscelyn, Thomas. “AQIS emphasizes allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, Taliban in new ‘code of conduct’.” Long War Journal. 26, Jun. 2017. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/06/aqis-emphasizes-allegiance-to-ayman-al-zawahiri-taliban-in-new-code-of-conduct.php

Political Activities

AQIS has no recorded political activities.

Targets and Tactics

Little is known about AQIS’s tactics, although it has vowed to target U.S. and U.S. aligned personnel in the Indian subcontinent, the secular governments of the region, and any who speak out against jihad or the establishment of Shariah Law in the Indian Subcontinent.[1] In a video released in November 2017, Mahmoud, the official spokesman for the group, explicitly listed the US as its primary target and India as its second target due to its corruption of Kashmir and its alliances with the US and Israel.[2]

[1] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[2]BBC Monitoring. “Al Qaeda’s ‘Indian Subcontinent’ branch re-focuses on India, Bangladesh.” BBC News. 26 Nov. 2017. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c1dnqkka.

Major Attacks

Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing, but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.

September 2014: AQIS claimed responsibility for the assassination of Brigadier Fazal Zahoor, a senior official in the Pakistani army. (3 killed, 9 injured)[1]

September 6, 2014: AQIS militants attempted to attack several U.S. warships after hijacking a Pakistani military frigate. The attack failed and the hijackers were apprehended. (1 killed, 0 wounded)[2]

September 18, 2014: AQIS assassinated Dr. Mohammad Shkil Auj, who was a liberal scholar at the University of Karachi, where he was the dean of Islamic Studies. (1 killed, 0 wounded)[3]

February 26, 2015: AQIS militants killed Avijit Roy, an atheist Blangadeshi-American Blogger living in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Between February and August 2015, AQIS killed three other secular Bangladeshi bloggers. (4 killed, 0 wounded)[4]

April 15, 2016: AQIS claims responsibility for the murders of Xulhaz Mannan and tanay Mojumdar, editors of a LGBT magazine. They were hacked to death in Dhaka. This is the first instance of murder for reasons other than sccularism. (2 killed, 0 wounded).[5]

January 8, 2017: Two AQIS militants conducted a grenade attack on the North Nazimabad Police Complex. (1 killed, 5 injured).[6]

[1] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[2] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[3] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[4] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent says attacks on ‘blasphemers’ ordered by Zawahiri.” The Long War Journal, 3 May 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015; Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[5] McLaughlin, Eliott C; Melvin, Don; Ap, Tiffany. “Al-Qaeda group claims responsibility for Bangladesh LGBT hacking murders.” CNN. 27 Apr. 2016. https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/25/asia/bangladesh-u-s-embassy-worker-kille…

[6] Ali, Imtiaz. “AQIS involvement feared in North Nazimabad gun and grenade attacks.” The Dawn. 8 Jan. 2017. https://www.dawn.com/news/1307010.; Khan, Faraz. “One killed, five injured in grenade attack.” The Express Tribune. 18 Jan. 2018. Web.

InteractionsForeign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences

Designated/Listed

United States: (June 30, 2016): The U.S. Department of State listed AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in accordance to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Australia: (November 28, 2016): The government of Australia listed AQIS as a terrorist organization.

Community Relations

In many of its press statements, AQIS has cited that is conducting jihad to protect Muslims in regions where they face oppression and corruption.[1]

[1] Bennett, Elizabeth. “A comeback for al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent?” Foreign Policy Journey, 12 May 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Relationships with Other Groups

AQIS has purportedly drawn fighters from a variety of Pakistani militant groups.[1] Although AQIS leadership has not named these groups explicitly, AQIS’s emir, Asim Umar, and its late shura council member Imran Ali Siddiqi were closely linked to Harakat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) before becoming AQIS leaders. In addition, Umar was a former commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban and the group allegedly has links to current TTP leadership.[2] AQIS is also connected to Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh, which some sources believe is an AQIS affiliate.[3] However, generally AQIS has had trouble recruiting support in Bangladesh because Hefazat e-Islam has largely monopolized the support of radicalized Bangladeshi Islamists and sworn to deprive AQIS of footholds in the country.[4]

AQIS has a close relationship with Al-Qaeda base, from which it is believed to receive most, if not all, of its funding and resources. Because of its affiliation with AQC, AQIS is assumed to have positive relations with AQ’s other affiliate organizations, although no proof of this has been discovered.[5] AQIS has also pledged allegiance to Omar Mullah, the former head of the Afghan Taliban.[6]

The establishment of AQIS also shows the emergence of competition between AQ and IS for recruits and influence over South Asia. The possibility of a turf battle and competition could result in a break-up of existing jihadist groups and the possible emergence of new groups.[7]

[1] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[2] Basit, Abdul. “Asim Umar- ‘New Kid on the Block’?” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analysis. S. Rajarantnam School of International Studies. Vol 6, Issue 10. Nov. 2014. https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CTTA-November14.pdf

[3] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[4] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[5] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

[6] Chandran, Anurag. “Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten.” Critical Threats, 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

[7] Basit, Abdul. “Asim Umar- ‘New Kid on the Block’?” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analysis. S. Rajarantnam School of International Studies. Vol 6, Issue 10. Nov. 2014. https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CTTA-November14.pdf

State Sponsors and External Influences

AQIS is believed to draw fighters from several Pakistani terrorist groups, many of which have cordial relationships with the Pakistani government. It is unknown whether AQIS has capitalized on or reestablished these ties.[1]

[1] Olmstead, Jordan. “The Real Reason al-Qaeda Is Establishing an India Branch.” The Diplomat, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

MapsThe project develops a series of interactive diagrams that "map" relationships among groups and show how those relationships change over time. The user can change map settings to display different features (e.g., leadership changes), adjust the time scale, and trace individual groups.