A conglomerate of elite jihadists called Malhama Tactical, a commercial enterprise driven by a for-profit agenda and not constrained by a specific ideology and defined enemies, has emerged as a serious threat as it can potentially connect and facilitate terrorist organisations worldwide.
The possibility of total decimation of ISIS gives the world an opportunity to take the fight against global terror to several localised jihadist groups operating across the world, before they forge new cross-continental alliances and give rise to a larger terror conglomerate.
Over the years, endless corruption, mismanagement of funds, and failure to devolve power to the people has completely jeopardised the unique Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), leading to the rise of Karbi insurgency.
Terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba are increasingly taking to social media to further widen their outreach. By integrating social media with self-developed android apps, Lashkar is also turning from mere technology user into a product developer.
The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) continues to pose serious threats to the national security of India. Despite having been banned for 12 years, SIMI, it has been alleged, works through radical outfits like the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its front organizations. It has also been charged with having links with terror outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), and the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) of Bangladesh. At the same time, the government’s decision to ban SIMI has been questioned by one section of its members.
Ghazi Force is likely to continue to haunt Pakistan given its renewal of fund-generating activities and the links that it has established with like-minded groups.
The need of the hour is to devise a counter-terrorism strategy which is well-coordinated and led by specialized units with superior intelligence-gathering and assessment skills.
The recent activities of SIMI as well as its suspected links with groups like the Popular Front of India and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and even the Indian Mujahideen suggest that it is regrouping to undertake terrorist attacks in different parts of India.
This commentary attempts to answer the question as to why the flow of jihadis is unending despite tough measures being undertaken by Jakarta, on its own or in collaboration with its regional and international partners.