Indians among the ISIS foreign fighters who surrendered to Afghan authorities: UN report

Indian nations were among 1,400 plus Islamic State (IS) extremists who surrendered to Afghanistan authorities in 2019, a UN report stated.  While most of those who surrendered were from Afghanistan, but or foreign nationals included--Indians, Pakistanis, Canians, French and so on. leg of Islamic State in region, known as, Islamic State of Iraq and Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K) is largely functional in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"More than 1,400 people surrendered to Afghan authorities, including dependants of ISIL-K fighters. Most males were Afghan nationals, but re were also foreign nationals from Azerbaijan, Cana, France, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan," January 2020 report said, without giving a breakup of ir numbers.

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According to UN report, Afghan security forces and fighters of foe armed group Taliban were able to inflict "severe damage" on Islamic State terrorists. impact on ISIL-K numbers may be significant. group is "now assessed to have approximately 2,500 fighters in Afghanistan, with about 2,100 of m concentrated in Kunar province", it said.

UN report furr said ISIL-K has established informal contact with or terrorist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-Islam. Islamic State of Iraq and Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL - K) announced its formation on January 10, 2015, through an online video. It was formed by former Taliban faction commanders who swore allegiance to Abu Bakr Baghdi, former so-called caliph of Islamic State. 

Islamic State in India 

Islamic State's official mouthpiece Amaq News Agency h claimed a 'province' in India back in May 2019, called "Wilayah of Hind" following a skirmish with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. In realm of narratives, Islamic States' endevour to expand and establish its province in region was seen as an attempt to fortify its positioning after taking heavy losses from its vast territories Iraq and Syria in April 2019. number of Indians who managed to travel to eir West Asia or Afghanistan to answer Islamic States' calls between 2014 and 2016 is around 10 to 15. 

director of a group that tracks terror outfit, SITE Intel Group, Rita Katz h said, " establishment of a ‘province’ in a region where it has nothing resembling actual governance is absurd, but it should not be written off."  Days after killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdi, Iranian Foreign Minister Jav Zarif in November last year h said that Islamic State was shifting its base to Afghanistan, and thus was a threat to India as well. 

(With PTI inputs)

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