NEW DELHI – India has banned new offshoots of terror organisations al-Qaedaand ISIS under the stringent anti-terror law – Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act, according to an official order.
Both al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Islamic State of Iraq andthe Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an Afghanistan-based affiliate of ISIS, havebeen declared unlawful by the Union home ministry as they were found to beradicalising Indian youths for ‘global jihad’ and encouraging terror actson Indian interests, it said.
The ISIS-K is also known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)/ISISWilayat Khorasan, the order said.
The AQIS, an affiliate of al Qaeda, is a terrorist organisation, which hascommitted acts of terrorism in the neighbouring countries and has beenpromoting and encouraging terror acts on Indian interests in the IndianSub-continent, it said.
It has been attempting radicalisation and recruitment of youths from India,it said, adding and the outfit has been declared as the banned organisationunder the UAPA.
The ISKP/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan is also promoting and encouraging terrorismin the Indian Sub-continent, according to the order.
It has been committing terrorist acts to consolidate its position byrecruiting youths for ‘global jihad’ and to achieve the objective ofestablishing its own ‘caliphate’ by overthrowing democratically electedgovernments, it said.
The outfit, which has now been banned, considers India and Indian interestsas its targets and is engaged in activities of radicalising and recruitingIndian youth for terror activities, the home ministry order said.
Both these outfits were declared as the terrorist organisations as theywere recruiting youths from India, it said, adding the radicalisation ofthe youths was a matter of serious concern for the national security andinternational peace.
The UAPA has strict penal provisions to deal with banned organisations andtheir members. – APP/AFP