Dormant But Waiting to Strike

Context: Reduced terror attacks during pandemic are no ground to conclude that terror outfits have become less vicious or are irrelevant.

Existing threats due to terror outfits

• Extraterritorial loyalty of misguided youth: makes them vulnerable to terrorist recruitment agency.

• Aggravation of poverty due to COVID-19: could offer a fertile ground for recruitment and intensified religious indoctrination.
• Terror outfits are reorganising and rebuilding: themselves during the pandemic.
• For E.g. resurgence of al-Qaeda and Islamic State has been reported, currently present in West Asia and Africa.
• Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are con?ned to the Afghanistan-Pakistan area. 

Implications of Doha Accord (between United States and Taliban) for India

• Taliban and al-Qaeda’s friendly attitude towards Pakistan could pose a problem for India
• Rise of al-Qaeda network in India: as per the  estimates of National Investigation Agency and operational skill and swiftness of al-Qaeda could turn peace into disorder.

• Pakistan’s training support to al-Qaeda and other aggressive Islamic outfits to escalate terrorism in India.

Conclusion: India must carve out a comprehensive National security plan, instead of downplaying al-Qaeda in terms of its ageing leadership.