Country Reports on Terrorism 2017 - Foreign Terrorist Organizations: al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Publication Date | 19 September 2018 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, Country Reports on Terrorism 2017 - Foreign Terrorist Organizations: al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), 19 September 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5bcf1f5913.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
aka al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent; Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent
Description: In September 2014, al-Qa'ida announced the establishment of a new AQ affiliate, al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The Department of State designated AQIS on July 1, 2016 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). AQIS focuses on terrorist activity in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Its leader is Asim Umar, a former member of the FTO Harakat ul-Mujahidin.
Activities: AQIS claimed responsibility for the September 6, 2014, attack on a naval dockyard in Karachi, in which militants attempted to hijack a Pakistani Navy frigate. AQIS has also claimed attacks against human rights activists and secular writers in Bangladesh, including U.S. citizen Avijit Roy, U.S. embassy local employee Xulhaz Mannan, and Bangladeshi nationals Oyasiqur Rahman Babu, Ahmed Rajib Haideer, and A.K.M. Shafiul Islam. In September 2017, AQAP called on AQIS to launch more attacks on Burmese authorities, because of Burma's policies towards Rohingya Muslims.
Strength: AQIS is estimated to have several hundred members.
Location/Area of Operations: AQIS members are thought to be located primarily in Afghanistan, with elements operating in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
Funding and External Aid: AQIS likely receives funding from al-Qa'ida senior leadership and engages in general criminal activity, kidnapping, and extortion.
